Amourshipping: Ash and Serena's Tribulations
by Bluedodger
Summary: Ash Serena are one step away from realizing their dream. Ash has won his 8th badge and is ready to take on the League. Serena has qualified for the Master Performer Finals where she will go up against Aria. However will their dreams get in the way of something more? Serena doesn't want to leave Ash and Ash is experiencing strange feelings towards Serena that he can't understand.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: This is a story I've been writing since Feb 10. I've completed up to Ch 23, and around 70k words as of this upload. This is my first fanfiction, and I wanted to make sure it was good before posting it. I will be uploading a new chapter every day or two. Hopefully I will be done before my posting catches up with my work.**

 **Chapter 1: Celebration, and the Road Ahead**

We begin our story at Snowbelle Gym, with our heroes gathering around Ash and Pikachu after a hard fought victory over Gym leader Wulfric. After winning, Ash had already set his eyes upon the Pokemon League but before he could run off Wulfric stopped the young hasty trainer and told him that he wouldn't be able to. "What do you mean I can't go, I have all eight badges now?" Ash exclaimed, confused as he showed his badge collection. Wulfric just smiled, and responded, "Well, yes but you can't go…yet. The League starts in a month, and Victory Road only opens a week before.

"Victory Road?" Ash, Serena, and Bonnie asked in unison. Clemont then explained how the Pokemon League was on top of a mountain east of Lumiose City, and the only way to get there by foot was through Victory Road. Every year the Pokemon League would open Victory Road only to those who have attained Eight Kalos badges a week before the tournament started. It was a mountain pass through caves and cliff sides with powerful wild pokemon that would be really dangerous for unprepared Trainers and their Pokemon.

"How do you know so much about this Clemont?" Bonnie asked. Ash and Serena nodded as they looked back at their friend. Clemont smirked. "Well I AM a Gym leader for the Kalos region, so of course I would know!" Wulfric reaffirmed this. "We Gym leaders only have a short break from our duties during the Pokemon league tournament since those who would challenge us during that time would be either too late or too early to participate."

Ash, Serena, and Bonnie all shared an understanding "Huh". After a couple moments of silence, it was Serena that asked aloud the question they were all thinking. "So what are you going to do until then, Ash?" They looked at Ash who was deep in thought, but then looked at his partner Pikachu on his shoulder. "Pikachu, you know how strong we can get with three weeks of tough training?" Ash asked.

Pikachu, still worn out from its battle with Wulfric's Avalugg was a bit hesitant at first, but knowing this was their best chance yet at a League title that it brought new energy to the little mouse. "Pika Pikachu!" The Pokemon answered. "Yeah that's the spirit buddy, but let's go to the Pokemon Center first, you and Greninja took a real beating." Ash said as he scratched Pikachu behind one of its ears. As Clemont and Bonnie started praising Pikachu and Ash for their great battle, Serena was in her own train of thought.

Did he forget what was happening next week…? Well he has another chance at his dream after all…but what of my dream?

"Wait…"

This one word brought Serena out of her thought. It was Ash that had said it. Serena looked up and saw Ash staring at her with a shocked expression. "The finals!" Serena's cheeks turned a slight pink, a little mad at herself for thinking Ash would forget so easily. Bonnie turned around a skipped toward Serena with an excited tone. "Yah! You get to compete in your first Masters Performance! You and Ash are so awesome!" Bonnie had grabbed Serena's hands and started dancing with her. To Bonnie, Ash and Serena had become like siblings to her. More so with Serena, she was the big sister she never had.

As they waited for Ash's Pokemon to fully recover at the Pokemon Center in Snowbelle city, Ash Clemont and Bonnie were watching Serena and her pokemon rehearse their routine in the indoor arena adjacent to the Pokemon Center. After their best practice yet, Serena thought it good to call it quits for the afternoon.

Clemont had offered to cook this time, as Serena had worked hard that day. Serena thanked Clemont and sat down next to Ash, exhausted. "And I thought my battle with Wulfric was tiring" Ash joked. "That was amazing Serena, you're sure to win the Masters Performance next week."

Though you couldn't really tell, due to her cheeks already red from the training she had done, Serena was blushing from the compliment. "Oh thank you Ash, but I don't know…Aria is going to be competing too." Bonnie, who was petting Slyveon, "Yeah but you'll be ready and by next week you'll be Kalos Queen, oh my gosh Serena you have to win for sure!" All three of them had some laughs as they talked about what was to come next in their journey, though Serena had this thought in her head that kept bugging her…

If I somehow do win…become the new Kalos Queen...does that mean I won't be able to travel with Ash anymore? Does he know that…?

"Bonnnnnie!" They heard Clemont from across the way, "Can you help me with the desserts?" Bonnie stood up and ran over, "Ok, I've learned so much from Serena, I'll make some great Pokepuffs! Hey Ash, can Pikachu help too?" Ash turned to Pikachu who looked excited. "Sure buddy you can go" Ash watched as Bonnie left with Pikachu, then turned back towards Serena, she had in her hand the three Princess Keys.

Pancham walked over and jumped in between Ash and Serena to look at their new key. Pancham had saved Serena's latest performance in Snowbelle three days ago by defeating a woman named Jesseline and her Meowth in a come from behind victory that earned them a spot in the freestyle round and eventually earning her third and final Princess Key.

As Ash was telling Serena on his point of view during the performance an explosion happened behind them and a thick cloud of smoke came out of nowhere engulfing the two trainers and pokemon. Ash couldn't see anything and tried to reach out for Serena, but he could barely see his hand in front of him. Then he heard a scream…

Serena!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Sacrifice**

"Get off of me! Hey don't take those, NO!"

"Just grab her too!"

"She's kind of heavy"

"Hey what's that supposed to mean! ASH! Help me!"

"Serena *cough* where are you?!"

"It's Team rock-mmph!"

After that, he couldn't hear Serena again. Ash rushed out of the smoke and saw Braixen and Pancham looking around for Serena too. As the smoke clears, Ash makes out a hole in the wall that was behind them. Ash looked back toward the Pokemon Center but knew it would too late to give chase if he went to grab his pokemon. "Braixen, Pancham let's go!"

Ash, Braixen and Pancham gave chase they found Team Rocket, with James dragging Serena, and her Slyveon, which was using it's ribbons to hold onto Serena's legs. This was slowing them down and they eventually caught up with the devious trio near a snowy canyon. Their Team Rocket balloon was near the edge of the cliff.

"Pancham use Dark Pulse on the balloon, they're not getting away that easily!" Pancham fired his Dark Pulse and destroyed the Team Rocket balloon. "Braixen use flamethrower, Slyveon use Protect on you and Serena!" Slyveon understood and soon a greenish glow surrounded it and Serena but not James who was dragging both of them. He looked up and saw the torrent of flame coming right for him.

He tried to get away but was too late as his butt was ignited by the Flamethrower. Though Serena and Slyveon were engulfed in the flame they were left unharmed. Ash rushed to Serena took the gag out and untied her and Slyveon. "You ok Serena?" Serena looked up, glad that Ash had once again saved her, but then got up on her feet and faced toward Team Rocket.

"Give me back my keys! Why would you want them anyway?" Serena shouted, all of her hard work, no, not just hers but all of her Pokemons hard work as well was in Jesse's hand. Jesse shouted back, "Because you don't deserve these you little twerpette! I should have won all those Performances." Ash and Serena were taken aback, Jesse wasn't in any of the competitions unless…

"Ah! You're Jesseline!" Serena had figured it out; she thought to herself how they didn't notice before. "Ahem…Queen Jesseline thank you very much" Jesse said with a snarky tone. "Now Gourgiest shadow ball!" Serena countered by commanding Slyveon to use Moonblast. The Moonblast won the confrontation and sent Team Rocket flying, but not before Jesse threw the Princess Keys down the canyon. "If I can't have them, then you won't either! We're blasting off again…!"

Ash and Serena gasped as they saw the keys falling over the edge, but before they could react, Pancham had thrown himself over the cliff to catch the keys, and in an incredible acrobatic feat was able to turn and throw the keys back. Braixen tried to reach out with her twig for Pancham to catch, but he was too far away and fell down the Cliffside to everyone's horror.

Serena was about to go after her pokemon, but Ash stopped her from going over. "No Serena, stop!" Serena had tears in her eyes. "B-But Pancham!" Ash had his arms wrapped around her waist, holding her back. "It's too steep to climb down!" Serena had stopped resisting but gave out one more shout for Pancham, but they couldn't see or hear the Pokemon.

Ash turned Serena around. "Serena listen, you need to run back to the pokemon center and get Clemont and my Talonflame and Noivern. I'll go down and find Pancham" Ash said with a stern, yet caring voice. Serena looked up, tears still flooding her eyes and cheeks. It was then that Ash brushed her cheeks and wiped her tears. She saw in his eyes that same determination she always saw in them. "Can you do that for Pancham?" He said in a softer voice. Unable to speak due to still being in shock, she nodded her head, and Ash lifted her up on her feet.

As she was about to go, she turned back to Ash, still holding on to him. "Please be safe Ash." He gave a slight smile and nod, then she went off running, Slyveon right behind her.

Braixon stayed and gave Ash a determined look through eyes that were teary as well. "So you wanna help me find Pancham?" The Pokemon gave a nod "Brai!" and so Ash and Braixon went off running along the Cliffside looking for a way down.

Serena made it to the Pokemon Center and alerted every one of the crisis at hand, so Clemont went to grab Ash's pokemon.

After a couple of minutes, Talonflame and Noivern flew towards the canyon with Serena and Clemont running after them. They told Bonnie and Pikachu to stay and look after the other pokemon. Nurse Joy would have sent an ambulance but the snowstorm previously had left the roads too dangerous for vehicles to drive.

It was Talonflame that saw the flare first. A fireball sent high into the sky from Braixen from the bottom of the canyon. Serena and Clemont watched as the fiery bird pokemon dove down into the canyon followed quickly by Noivern. Ash and Braixen had found Pancham, unconscious, bruised, and very cold, but still alive.

After sending the flare, Braixen started a fire as Ash took of his jacket and wrapped Pancham in it. A minute later they heard a cry above them. They looked up and saw Talonflame coming in to land, followed by they landed, Ash gave Talonflame the wrapped up Pokemon. "You take Pancham to the Pokemon Center as fast as you can!" With that, Talonflame grabbed the jacket and flew off.

"Noivern where is Serena?" Noivern pointed at the top of the canyon and Ash could see two small points, one of them must be Clemont too. "Ok, Noivern give us a lift to the top, then take Serena to the Pokemon Center." Noivern gave a nod, and grabbed Ash while Braixen rode on top.

Serena and Clemont saw Talonflame speed off with what looked like Ash's jacket in its talons. "Pancham!" Serena cried, but Talonflame kept on going.

As Serena turned to run after Talonflame, she heard her name being called out. "Serena!" She turned back and saw Noivern carrying Ash and her Braixen. "Hurry and let Noivern take you to the Pokemon Center" Noivern lowered to the ground so Ash could land, and he offered his hand. "Just hold on to his legs and he'll carry you!" Serena ran to Ash. "How's Pancham is he ok? Is, is he…" She trailed off, tears starting to form again but Ash put one of his hands on her shoulder to steady her, and lifted her chin with the other. "Pancham is going to be ok, he's banged up pretty badly but Talonflame is getting him to the Pokemon Center as fast as he can" Clemont came up to them, "Nurse Joy is waiting there, he'll be in good hands."

With that small comfort, she embraced Ash hugging him around the waist burying her head in his chest. "Thank you Ash" She said between tears. After a couple of moments it was Ash that broke the silence, "You're warm Serena, but you have to go" Even after all that happened, Serena's heart skipped a beat with what Ash had said. Did he like their embrace?

She opened her eyes and pulled away a bit then saw what Ash had meant. "Ash you don't have your jacket! You must be freezing!" Serena then gave Ash a tighter hug. "Serena…thanks but stop, you need to go. Talonflame should have made it back by now. Go on ahead I'll be fine" Serena then reluctantly went over to Noivern, and when she was set Ash told Noivern to go.

It took 5 minutes for Ash and Clemont to reach the Pokemon center. Bonnie and Pikachu were waiting with Ash's jacket. After getting his jacket on, Ash wasted no time in asking where Serena and Pancham were. Bonnie pointed towards the E.R door. Ash ran towards the door, but not before Pikachu jumped on his shoulder.

He went down to hallway and saw Serena, along with her Braixen and Slyveon looking through a glass panel. As Ash came up to the window, he saw Nurse Joy along with a Wigglytuff working with machinery around a table where Pancham was laying. Serena was clutching at her clothes, completely still except for her breathing. Braixen and Slyveon were restless and whimpered every now and then.

Several minutes went by, with nobody making a move. Ash had finally caught his breath and had warmed up from earlier. It looked like Nurse Joy and Wigglytuff were finishing up. They were putting away some stuff and clearing the table with Pancham on it. Pancham had his right arm in a cast, and both his legs had some kind of bandage or brace on. He also had his right ear patched up. As they carted Pancham out of the room, Serena took a step forward, whispering to herself, "Wha…wait. How is he?"

Ash could barely hear her, but it almost seemed Nurse Joy did hear it as she turned around and gave a thumbs up and mouthed "OK" to the worried trainers and pokemon. With that, they gave a sigh of relief. Braixen hugged Serena, same with Slyveon with its ribbons around Serena's legs. Both were relieved that their friend was going to be okay.

Ash put his arm on Serena's shoulder. Serena, still teary eyed turned around, but this time she had a faint smile. Serena looked at Ash's hand on her shoulder and noticed the reddish stains on his gloves. She looked down at his other hand, both were scratched up but the bleeding had stopped. Serena grabbed both of Ash's hands in her own, "Ash, your hands…" She looked up with a worried face, but Ash silenced her worry with his smile. "I'll live Serena, just a few cuts and bruises from the climb down".

Serena looked towards Braixen and it showed her its paws. There were cuts on them too and a bruise on one of its knees. "We'll be fine, we'll get Nurse Joy to look at it after she's done with Pancham" Serena shook her head, "No, no she's busy already, and it might get infected. Come with me." Letting go of one hand, but keeping a hold of the other she led Ash and her pokemon out of the E.R area.

When they exited, Clemont, Bonnie, and the other pokemon were waiting outside the door awaiting the news. Instinctively Serena let go of Ash's hand, hoping nobody saw her and Ash hold hands, even if she was just leading him. "Pancham is gonna be alright everyone." Ash said, to the relief of everyone. Serena walked over to Talonflame and Noivern, "Thank you so much you two. Our friend is going to be alright because of you"

They both expressed joy as everyone gathered around giving them praise for their efforts. As that happened, Serena took Ash away and sat him down at the bench where their stuff was at. "Here Ash sit down, let me take a look at your hands." And she took out a first aid kit in her bag. Though initially protesting that they were fine, Ash finally relinquished his hands. Serena took care at removing his gloves. The gloves were torn and were going to be unusable after this. Serena then washed his wands with some water, taking care around the bigger cuts as she went.

While initially painful, the pain eventually dulled down for Ash, but then some other feeling was creeping up. It was the same feeling when they hugged at the canyon, but Ash was cold and still on an adrenaline rush from the crisis. Now this feeling had his full attention. It felt like his chest was burning, slightly at first but it wasn't painful, it was…good. He didn't realize he had been watching Serena the whole time until Pikachu jumped up next to him on the bench, curious at how his partner was doing. "Hey Pikachu, you're wondering if Ash is ok too?" Serena asked, bringing Ash's attention back to her.

 _ **Her honey colored hair...**_

Serena looked up at Ash with a smile

 ** _Her ocean blue eyes..._**

Serena then stood up in front of Ash, "All done, better?" Ash hadn't realized that Serena was already finished; he looked down and saw his hands wrapped up in some bandage cloth, little red blotches seeping through in some areas. "Thanks Serena, they already feel much better." Pikachu nudged Ash's arms and stood on his lap, grabbing his attention. "Pikachu!" The little mouse said as his trainer hugged him.

Serena took that opportunity to turn away and tend to Braixen sitting with the other Pokemon. Thanks to Pikachu, Ash hadn't seen her burning red cheeks as he complimented her handiwork, but that wasn't the only reason she was blushing so much…

 ** _He was looking at me the whole time, I could barely control my hands as they were holding his. Does…he like me? Oh…I shouldn't be thinking like this. I should be glad Ash and I got that…close but it was because Pancham got really hurt._**

"Braix?"

Serena jumped a bit. Braixen had its head tilted with a confused look at Serena as she was washing its paws clean. "Oh, it's nothing Braixen just…wondering if Pancham will be alright." Braixen looked down for a bit with a worried look, but then jolted its head back up "Brai, Brai!" It said with a smile. "Yeah, I guess you're right, You and I gotta be strong for Pancham!" Braixen nodded its head in agreement.

As they ate an anxious dinner awaiting Nurse Joy's news they saw the E.R door sign turn off. A second later, Nurse Joy walked out. Serena jumped out of her seat and bolted to Nurse Joy, followed by everyone else. She had so many questions, but it all revolved around a single one, "H-How is he?"

Nurse Joy led them to the bed that held Pancham. As the group walked up to the bed, Pancham turned towards them, one eye was a bit swollen and shut but the other eye was able to see Serena and everyone walk up. When Serena saw her Pancham tilt its head, she ran the last couple of steps and kneeled down at Pancham's side. "Pan, Pancham" the injured pokemon said, glad to see its trainer again. "Oh Pancham, I'm so happy you're alright." Tears began to well up in her eyes again as Braixen went over to the other side, and Slyveon jump on the foot of the bed, being carefully not to step on Pancham's feet."It's going to take a while, but Pancham should make a full recovery." Nurse Joy explained. Serena turned toward Nurse Joy, "What do you mean awhile?" Nurse Joy walked over to the wall and showed them Pancham's X-rays on its legs. "While it may take a few days of rest and recovery to have Pancham back on his feet, as he suffered only minor injuries to his legs," She pointed at the other image, showing an X-ray on Pancham's arm. "It will take a few months for Pancham to recover from its broken arm"


	3. Chapter 3: A Surprise Guest

**Chapter 3: A Surprise Guest**

 **Author's note: I forgot to state in the first chapter that Ash and Serena are both 16 years old. Clemont is 15, and Bonnie is 8. I also had a feeling that Noibat would evolve into Noivern, so I put him in the story as its evolved form. For those wondering, Ash still only has 5 Pokemon with him: Pikachu, Greninja, Talonflame, Hawlucha, and Noivern. But don't worry, that will soon change in the next couple of chapters.**

 **One more thing, in the story when you see BOLD and ITALIC words, that means the character is speaking to themselves in their thoughts, or in the unique case between Ash and Greninja, to each other. There are some parts in Chapter 1 that I missed, but I can't edit it now.**

It took several minutes for the realization at what Serena faced. She was overjoyed that Pancham will make a full recovery eventually in a couple of months, but the Master Finals was 10 days away. Clemont made the calculations and said they could reach Luminose City, where the finals would be, in a three day journey if they left in the morning. So Serena had to create an entirely new performance and practice it in Snowbelle in 6 days.

It took all the support of her friends to believe that she could pull this off. Ash's determination gave Serena the emotional support to keep on going. Clemont recorded each practice session so Serena and her pokemon could review their movements. And Bonnie kept Serena's spirit alive with optimism.

On the last day before they would leave for Luminose City, Serena was getting extremely anxious. They couldn't get the last bit of the performance down, and time was running out. Sure they could practice on the way over, but in the wild it would be difficult to find the right amount of space to practice. It was then, when during one of their last practices before lunch, a surprise guest arrived to root Serena on.

"Pancham! What are you doing here?" Bonnie had heard him walk up behind them as they were getting ready. Pancham, though still had the cast on his arm and a bandage over his ear, had made a good recovery on his legs and was able to walk again. However, when he tried yesterday it was still labored and he could barely make it a few feet without hurting.

Serena rushed over, "Pancham you shouldn't be up. You need a few more days to recover" Pancham shook his head. Serena was worried that Pancham was being reckless with his injures, and he might make them worse.

"Pan, Pan, Pancham cham Pancham!"

Serena couldn't quite know what Pancham was trying to say, "You want to see how I'm doing?" Pancham shook his head. Ash knelt next to Serena, facing Pancham. "No, I think Pancham wants more than that, you want to make sure Serena is ready to go. You want to help Braixen and Sylveon?" Pancham clenched his non-injured paw and nodded his head with an determined look. "Pancham!"

Serena took care at picking up Pancham and sat him down next to Bonnie and Pikachu. With the return of their friend, Braixen and Slyveon renewed their vigor and for the first time, succesfully completed their last part of the routine. However Pancham had some things to say to Braixen and Sylveon. Though the trainers didn't know what he was saying, and the occasional nods from Braixen and Sylveon, Ash knew that Pancham was giving them sound advice.

Throughout their lunchbreak Pancham continued to talk with it's fellow performance pokemon. And when they were all done, Braixen and Sylveon were pumped and ready to go for another practice session. Serena had been watching Clemont's tape recording of their previous run, and while they had finally completed the routine without a mess up, it had several flaws throughout it.

Ash, who had been watching the tape with Serena and Clemont finally spoke up. "Wait, Clemont go back to the beginning and play it at normal speed." Both of them looked back at Ash wondering what he was thinking. Up to this point it was Serena and Clemont who were criticing each routine. Ash, while great at battling and understanding pokemon, wasn't the best person to go to for advise on performing and dancing. Clemont though gave Ash the benefit of the doubt.

"What did you see Ash?" Serena asked as Clemont played the tape from the beginning. Ash just stared at the screen, but said, "Just you." Serena had mixed feelings with what Ash had just said. She slightly blushed that Ash had just been watching her, but also a bit frustrated that he was pointing out only her supposed mistake. Sure, she made a few mistakes during the routine, which she and Clemont went over, but Braixen and Sylveon had mistakes too. As the video ended, Ash stood back, put a hand on his chin and nodded his head "That's it..."

Clemont looked at Ash confused. "What Ash? What's it?" Clemont asked. Serena was looking down, in thought trying to figure out her emotions, but was shocked out her trance when Ash walked up to her and lifted her chin with his hand, just like he did several days ago at the canyon. "It's your smile Serena. I was looking at you to entire time, and not once were you smiling." Serena's face was burning. Ash hadn't just been looking at her, but her face. "You were looking like me when I battle, all rigid and focused" Ash said as he laughed. "But the one thing I know about Performing is that everything revolves around you Serena, you and your smile"

Serena was shocked. She had a Deerling in the headlights look. She didn't know what to say as she stared at Ash as he just smiled back at her. Clemont took a look back at the tape and went through it again. "Wow, he's right Serena" The two trainers looked back at the tape as Clemont paused each time Serena turned back toward the camera. "Wow Ash, very perceptive, I was just looking at their movements, but this might be the main reason Serena" Clemont concluded. Serena just looked at the screen

 _ **He noticed that I wasn't smiling this whole time. How could I have not noticed? Is...is he...? No, that can't be it. Is he finally giving me hints? I've been sending him dozens of hints for almost a year now...but these last couple of days. Has she been getting hints from...HIM?**_

Serena was lost in her thoughts again as she didn't notice that Ash and Clemont had left her, they had shouted a name and ran off to the other side of the arena along with Bonnie and most of the pokemon. It took her a second to recollect her thoughts and look over at the new guest as they were welcomed by the group.

"Professor Sycamore?"

"What are you doing here Professor?" Serena asked as she walked up to him, it seemed Clemont and Bonnie were asking the same thing. "Ash hasn't told you?" They all looked at Ash who put a hand behind his head and laughed. "I guess I didn't, haha, it was supposed to be a surprise." Serena noticed that Sycamore was holding a metal briefcase. "What's that Professor?" Sycamore held up the briefcase. "The surprise"

Professor Sycamore told the group that Ash had contacted him the day after Team Rocket's attack and Pancham's incident. Nurse Joy had said that Pancham would have to stay in Snowbelle's pokemon center for a while. Even in a pokeball, Pancham was not fit to travel to Luminose City with the group. They were going to have to leave Pancham behind. Clemont had offered to stay with the pokemon. "Don't worry Serena, I'll make sure Pancham sees your performance on T.V" That was the plan initially, but that's when Ash contacted the professor.

"He wanted to know if there was a type of pokeball that Pancham could be in so that it would be safe for him to travel with them." Professor Sycamore explained. "It so happened that I heard of a special 'Medical ball' that could heal pokemon that was in it's prototype stage at the Pokeball Factory in Kalos. Ash had told me how important it was for Serena that Pancham was there in person at the performance"

The group looked toward Ash who was standing near Sycamore. Ash was blushing from the looks, as he was kind of embarrassed.

"So I traveled to Laverre City and asked the President there for the Medical ball. While hesitatent at first since they only had 5 prototypes, he finally agreed to to lend me one for their first field test." Clemont intrupted the Professor, "But isn't there already a Heal Ball available?" Sycamore laughed, "Of course they have, but that's only good on weak or fainted Pokemon, due to a battle, but I hear Pancham is a different story." Clemont nodded his head. "So the Heal ball isn't strong enough to help Pancham," The professor nodded his head in agreement. "But wait...This will be their first field test?!" Professor Sycamore nodded his head again. "They would never injure a pokemon so much just to test their new ball" Sycamore answered, Clemont agreed. "Even in the name of science and good intentions" Everyone nodded their head in agreement.

"Ok Serena, this is for you" Sycamore placed the briefcase down and opened it. Inside was a pokeball that was pink, like a Heal ball, but had a white cross on the top of it. Next to it was a small gadget with a video screen on it. He gave the pokeball to Serena, then he picked up the small gadget. "This computer is linked to that Medical ball and will tell you how Pancham is doing on this screen. I believe you Clemont should have this" The professor said as he handed the device to Clemont. Bonnie looked up to Serena, her face hidden by the shadow of her hat. "Serena what's wrong?"

They all looked at Serena, she started to shake. "Y-you don't know how important t-this is for me." She said trying to hold back the tears. Sycamore just smiled, "Oh I think I know...remember it was Ash that told me how much Pancham being there with you meant to you and your pokemon." Serena looked up at Professor Sycamore, her eyes tearing up, then shifted her gaze towards Ash. Ash had his hand behind his head with an embarassed smile.

She rushed him, almost tackling him and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her head into his chest now openly crying. Ash, after just getting his balance again felt him being hugged from both his sides too. He looked down and saw Braixen hugging both him and Serena and Sylveon wrapping its ribbons around both his and Serena's legs. The rest of the Pokemon celebrated in joy, they were relieved that they didn't have to leave their friend behind. Bonnie was hugging Pancham who was trying its best to not cry, from the realization of what happened and from the pain of Bonnie's embrace.

After Serena calmed down a bit and stopped crying she kept hugging Ash, but simply whispered to Ash, "Thank you Ash...thank you so much" Ash whispered back, "You've helped me plenty of times in the past, anything for you Serena". Serena's cheeks, though red already now burned.

 ** _Anything for you Serena..._**

After everyone had calmed down and Serena dried her tears, Professor Sycamore asked about Serena's progress for her finals performance. She wiped her eyes one more time, "Let me show you, ready you two?" Serena said as she looked down at Braixen and Sylveon. They were wiping their own tears off, but then gave her a determined look. As everyone cleared the arena, Serena got into position.

 _ **Anything for you Serena...**_

That kept echoing in her mind, and as the music started to play, her face was radiating from her smile. She had been feeling down for having to leave Pancham behind, a decision that crushed her but now, there was nothing keeping her spirit down.

As they went through their performance, everyone was watching in amazement. The small mistakes and errors that had plagued their friends routine were gone. Braixen timed its Firespin perfectly, and Sylveons Fairy wind was just right. Serena, who previously was stiff from focus and concentration, was now more relaxed and had the whole performance under control. As they ended their routine. Everyone stood up and applauded, their friends had done it.

"Wow, simply marvelous Serena," Sycamore stated. "I've seen all your performances on T.V before but this one has got to be the best thus far." Clemont came back from the camera, "Everything came together you three, amazing!" Bonnie was jumping up and down. "You were all so cute and awesome and beautiful and amazing and and...Ah! Serena you're going to win for sure!" Serena, blushing from the compliments looked over to Ash. He smiled back and said one word.

"Perfect"


	4. Chapter 4: A Champion and a Queen

**Chapter 4: A Champion and a Queen**

Lumiose City was buzzing. The annual Master Performace Finals was tomorrow. All the hotels were booked, the streets were full of tourists and performing enthusiasts. Due to being a finalist, Serena and her friends were able to stay at the Lumoise Grand Hotel, across the street from the stadium housing the competition, reserved for competiters and VIPs.

As Serena, Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie entered the reception they saw themselves blocked. A huge crowd was surrounding somebody, asking them all sorts of questions. "It might be Aria" Serena told them. Ash and Serena pushed through wondering if it was indeed Aria. Clemont held on to Bonnie, "It's too dangerous, you might get stepped on" Bonnie pouted, unable to get rid of her brothers grip. After some pushing and apologizing they came to the person in the middle. Ash gasped at who they found. It was Cynthia, current champion of Sinnoh.

"Cynthia!?"

Cynthia knew that voice, she turned around and smiled at seeing Ash. "Ah, Ash what a pleasure to see you here, oh and you too Pikachu" Pikachu, on Ash's shoulders gave a wave to Cynthia. "Pikachu!"

Serena stood next to Ash, "You know this woman Ash?" She asked, "Yeah, I met Cynthia when I was just starting my journey in the Sinnoh region. Though at the time, I didn't know she was the champion."

Serena gasped, "You're a champion?!" Cynthia laughed, "Yes I am, and who are you my dear?" Serena blushed at her rudeness of not introducing herself first, "Oh, sorry, I'm Serena"

One of the people in the crowd walked out stood inbetween the three, he had a microphone pointed at Cynthia. "Please Cynthia, since you are here in Lumiose City will you be challenging Diantha, the Kalos Champion to a battle?" Ash and Serena gasped, two champions battling would be a spectacle to watch for sure. Cynthia just laughed, "Oh no, I'm not here for that. I'm just here to watch the Master Performer Finals tomorrow. Besides I believe Diantha is busy getting her Pokemon League tournament underway."

Her answered seemed to not be liked by the rest of the crowd. Ash was kind of bummed out too. "Now please, I would like to check into my hotel room, thank you" Cynthia said with a kind voice. However the crowd moved and gave her a pathway as if she had commanded it. "Ash would you come with me please, you too Serena". The three walked through the crowd and were able to get to the reception desk where Clemont and Bonnie were as well.

"Oh wow! You are so beautiful! You must be the one!" Bonnie charged at Cynthia, but stopped just before her and got down on one knee. "Please take care of my brother, Clemont!" Cynthia, for once, didn't know what to say. Who was this small girl? "Bonnie! I told you a million times to not do that!" Clemont used his Aipom arm, grabbed Bonnie and walked away, embarrassed once again.

"Uh, what was that?" Cynthia asked, half laughing.

"Oh those are my other friends I've been travelling with. That's Clemont, and his little sister Bonnie." Ash said.

"You find the strangest people Ash" Cynthia said "So, what brings you here to Kalos?"

Ash brought out a small box and showed Cynthia the 8 badges he had collected from the Kalos region. "I'm here challenging the Kalos Pokemon League, but right now Serena's going to perform in the Finals tomorrow!" Cynthia looked back at Serena. "Oh are you going to try and beat Aria?" Serena looked up at Cynthia, "You know Aria?"

Cynthia smiled, "Yes, we've been friends for some time now," Cynthia looked up, thinking "how long has it been...just over 5 years now" Serena was surpised, "Wow, really! How'd you meet?" Cynthia laughed, "Ha, how about you ask her, yourself" Cynthia looked past them, making them turn around. There behind them was a girl with a hat masking most of her features. Serena was confused, was that Aria? She couldn't tell.

"Really Cynthia?! I'm trying to be incognito you know" The stranger said while tipping her hat up, revealing the rest of their face. "Aria it's you!" Serena gasped. Aria looked around worried, she put a finger to her lips and whispered, "Shh! Jeez, I am TRYING to be incognito" Serena put a hand over her mouth. "Sorry."

Aria went over to the elevator. "If we could talk more privately, please come with me." Ash made a gesture for Clemont and Bonnie to come with them, and the 6 friends went into the elevator. "I'm sorry miss at my sister's outburst" Clemont told Cynthia. "Oh, it's fine. It was kind of funny to be honest".

Clemont turned toward Cynthia "AH! Y-You're Cynthia! The champion of Sinnoh!" Ash, Serena, and Aria put their face into their hands with an audible sigh.

They got out of the elevator on the top floor, and followed Aria to her room. When they went in, it wasn't just a room. It looked amazing. Even for a 5 star hotel, Aria's room was something else. It had a full kitchen, an open area and living room enough for dozens of guests. The floor had a shiny gloss to it, the walls had beautiful paintings of Lumoise and Prism Tower at night, of Anistar City and the giant sundial at dusk, and many more paintings of Kalos' landmarks. A giant chandellier comprised of over two dozen lights hung in the middle above their heads. Aria and Cynthia walked in but the 4 companions stood at the door, awestruck at the magnificence of Aria's room.

"Well, c'mon you guys. Shut the door, make yourselves at home." Aria said setting her hat down on the counter. She reached around her head, and undid her bun letting her pink hair down. "Ah much better." She walked over to Cynthia and they hugged. "Oh it's so good to see you Cynthia, how long has it been?" Aria said as they let go. "Must have been 8 or so months when you were there at the Sinnoh League tournament." Cynthia replied. Serena overheard this, "You were in the tournament Aria?!" Aria laughed, "Oh no I wasn't, silly. I was just there to root on Cynthia as she defended her title as champion." Aria walked over to Serena and hugged her as well. "It's so good to see you too Serena. I'm so glad you made it to the Masters final." Serena smiled, "I have you to thank for that, you helped me when we first met. I mean, after my friends and my pokemon, you've been the most help"

Ash looked over at Cynthia, "So how do you two know each other?" Cynthia nodded, and asked everyone to sit down for the story. Aria went and grabbed everyone drinks. "As you know Ash, I am the champion of Sinnoh, but it wasn't like that always. I started out just like you, with a single pokemon." Ash interupted, "Was it your Garchomp?" Cynthia nodded, "Yes, but it was just a little Gible before." Cynthia explained. "I traveled around Sinnoh, and eventually got 8 badges to participate in the Sinnoh League."

Ash interupted again, "And that's when you became champion?" Serena, sitting next to Ash slapped him softly on the shoulder. "Ow, what was that for?" Ash asked.

"Let Cynthia tell the story Ash" Serena said with a giggle. "Sorry Cynthia" Ash said sheeply. "Oh no it's fine. But no I didn't become champion then, in fact I lost in the first round." Cynthia said with a laugh. "What?! No way" Ash said, shocked. Cynthia simply nodded, "Oh yes, my first tournament was a very humbling experience." Cynthia said. "So afterwards I travelled to Kalos on my 2nd journey, and during my time in Luminose as I was preparing to get my 5th badge was when Aria ran into me...literally."

Aria laughed, "Never gonna let that one down will you" Cynthia smiled, "Never...So I was just leaving one of the cafes with a coffee just after lunch when out of nowhere some little pink haired girl runs into me, spilling my coffee on both of us" Bonnie and Serena giggled, "At first I was about to yell at this girl, but then I saw she was in this beautiful dress and crying" Serena looked over at Aria, who simply nodded as if saying "Yep, that was me"

"She was saying she was so sorry, and it was all her fault, and kept on blubbering on how she was a failure and everything." Aria interupted then, "Ok, they don't need to know everything Cynthia"

Cynthia laughed, Serena looked back over at Aria. She could never imagine that Aria, the Kalos Queen would ever cry or act the way that Cynthia had described. Cynthia continued, "When I picked her up on her feet was when I noticed her. You see, I was watching a Performer competition on T.V at the cafe. She was one of the girls at the competition, and...well...it didn't go over so well" Cynthia said as she looked over to Aria. "Yeah, you see, I kind of slipped during the prelimary round," Aria said as she took over the story. "I was cooking some PokePuffs with my Fennekin at the time, and I slipped while handling the milk and spilled all our work on the floor. So after that I ran away in tears, and fate would have it that I bumped into Cynthia. She helped me through that tough time. In fact, she helped me the same way as I helped you Serena." Serena looked at Aria confused, she had helped her in many ways. "Through a double battle with my two pokemon, and through a piece of advise I've always kept close to my heart."

Cynthia interupted this time, now telling the story. "You see, I was a pokemon trainer. I never thought of performing or being a coordinator, but there was one thing I saw in those competitions that mattered just as much as battling. A trainer's confidence, or in Aria's case, her smile." Serena couldn't believe it, Aria had gone through the same thing she did 5 years ago. Cynthia continued, "And so after that, we traveled together as I obtained the rest of my badges and Aria with her Princess keys. Eventually Aria got her three keys and participated in her first Masters Final"

Serena spoke up, "And that's when you won the Kalos Queen title?" It was this time for Ash to slap Serena on the shoulder, though he did it more softly. "Hey, Ash what was...oh, sorry Cynthia" Serena said, as she understood what she just did. Aria shook her head, "No I came in third. It was only 2 years ago that I became Kalos Queen. I defended my title last year, and I expect to do it again tomorrow" She said with a smile.

Cynthia continued, "Ever since that day she bumped into me, we've been friends ever since, though now due to our responsibilities as Queen and Champion, we don't see each other much now." That last part hit Serena hard, though only Aria noticed the small change to Serena's face.

 _ **I want to be Kalos Queen, I really do...but I want to stay with Ash. And knowing Ash, he'll want to continue to travel to get stronger and to follow his dream. But what if I tell him how I really feel? Does he feel the same, and even if he does...would that mean one of us have to give up their dream to stay together?**_

They continued to tell stories of their adventures for an hour until Cynthia stood up. "Well it's been fun, but it's a long day tomorrow for you Aria, and you Serena." Aria looked outside, it was dark outside. "Oh my, it's already night" Bonnie and her pokemon Dedenne yawned, feeling the edges of sleepiness creeping up. Clemont picked her up, "And we still need to get our hotel room" Cynthia and Serena both laughed, "Yeah, I guess we forgot to get our room keys didn't we"

They said goodnight to Aria, and went downstairs. Serena and Cynthia checked in and grabbed their room keys. Cynthia was on the top floor, being a champion has its perks, but Serena's room was on the third. They went up the elevator and said goodnight to Cynthia as they reached their floor. When they entered their room, it wasn't as extravegent as Aria's. It was a simply room with two beds, a table with a two chairs, and a T.V on the wall. There also was a closet and a small bathroom off to the side. Bonnie jumped on the bed, then noticed something about the beds. "Uh, guys. These are single beds." Serena was behind Ash and Clemont, would they have to share a bed? Would she share it with Ash? Her cheeks got red at the thought.

"That's ok, Clemont and I still have our sleeping bags, we'll sleep on the floor." Ash said, Clemont agreed, and started to dig out his sleeping bag. Serena was both relieved and bummed out, but didn't dwell on it. As she started unpacking, she brought out her pokemon, Braixen and Sylveon. "Well, we're here. Are you nervous?" Both the pokemon shook their heads. If they were nervous, they didn't show it. They wore a stern face, they were ready. She turned to her bed and took out another pokeball.

She released Pancham from the Medical Ball, and the injured pokemon came out onto the bed. "How you holding up Pancham?" Serena asked. The little cub pokemon still had a cast on its arm, but the bandage that was wrapped around its head and ear was now gone. During their journey to Luminose Pancham took it off, protesting it didn't need it anymore, and because it was getting itchy. Clemont was monitoring Pancham's health with the small gadget connected to the Medical ball, and noticed a good increase to Pancham's vitality. The Medical ball was really helping. "Pan Pan, Pancham!" The pokemon exclaimed, as he played on the bed with Sylveon.

As everyone finished getting ready for bed, Serena walked up to Ash, who was already snuggling into his sleeping bag. Pikachu, while it loved its trainer, decided to sleep on Serena's bed. It wasn't going to miss an opprotunity to sleep on a good bed. "Hey Ash, I ugh...thought you would like a pillow." She said as she revealed a pillow from behind her.

"Oh, that would be nice, thank you Serena" Ash took the pillow and set in down. "Your welcome Ash, you know these hotel beds, they always have too many pillows." Ash laughed, "Yeah, just one good pillow is enough for me, goodnight Serena" He said as he put his head down on the pillow, still looking up at her. "Goodnight Ash" Serena replied as she climbed into bed.

Clemont got out of the bathroom, but little did he know that he was being targeted. "Hey Big Brother catch!" Bonnie shouted as she threw a pillow at Clemont, hitting him in the face. "Agh, Bonnie, what was that for?" Clemont said as he picked up the pillow from the floor. "So you can have a pillow silly. Serena already gave Ash a pillow" Clemont looked over and saw Ash with a pillow. "Huh, that's very thoughtful. Thanks Bonnie."

It took only a minute for Bonnie and Clemont to fall asleep, but Ash and Serena couldn't sleep. They were lost in their own thoughts.

 _ **I don't want him to leave, but I don't want to get in the way of his dream. I don't want to leave him, but he wouldn't want me to give up on my dream.**_

 _ **If she wins tomorrow, she'll be Kalos Queen, and though I want her to go for her goal what happens next? Does she have to stay her in Kalos?**_

 _ **He's the kindest, most caring guy I know. But when he's battling he has this...presence about him, so focused and confident. He loves pokemon, and would do anything for them, even to a pokemon he's never met before.**_

 _ **I've met plenty of girls on my journeys. Misty was easy to talk to, though she got on my nerves easily. May is kind and I love her competitive spirit. Dawn is sweet, innocent, and very cheerful. Iris, well...she was annoying. But Serena...**_

 _ **He's so supportive, if it weren't for him I wouldn't be here. And though he can be incredibly dense and oblivious at times, he always does the right thing. And when I look into his eyes, my legs tremble, and my heart flutters, I...I think...**_

 _ **But Serena, she's so kind and caring. Her hair is beautiful and sometimes I get lost in her eyes. But why am I thinking like that. I've never thought of girls like this, but since being with Serena, I don't know...I think...**_

 _ **...I love him**_

 _ **...I love her**_


	5. Chapter 5: The Morning before the Finals

**Chapter 5: The Morning before the Finals**

Ash woke up as the first rays of light were coming over the horizon. It must be an close to sunrise he thought to himself. He got up silently to not wake up anyone else. Clemont was snoring, and Bonnie was buried beneath the pillows and blankets, probably to cover her ears from the snores. He looked over at Serena's bed, Pikachu was still sleeping but Serena wasn't there. He looked toward the bathroom but it was open and the light wasn't on. He also noticed that Serena's pokeballs were still here. Wherever she was, her had left her pokemon. He got dressed and left the room. He went to the reception and she wasn't there either. Ash walked over to the reception lady, and asked if she saw a girl with honey hair walk out. "Hmm, yes I believe it was about 30 minutes ago. She went outside and went across the street, but that's all I know" Ash thanked her and went outside.

He looked across the street, and knew where Serena had gone. The stadium where the Masters finals would be at. He crossed the street and entered the stadium. He went through the lobby area, there were several workers already there, getting ready for the event that afternoon. He asked one of them if they had seen Serena. "Oh yes, I don't know if she's still there but she went to the arena." Ash looked over and saw one of the corridors leading to the stands. He thanked the man and went on.

As he went through the corridor he saw the entire arena before him. The stadium stands could fit 10,000 people in it. Pokemon League Stadiums could hold more than double that, but the audience had a whole 360 degree view of the battlefield. In Performer stadiums the stands barely went half a circle around the stage.

He immediately saw Serena. She was on the stage sitting down with her knees up to her chest and her arms wrapped around her legs, her head was buried in her knees. She hadn't seen him yet. Ash walked down the stairs towards the stage. What was she doing here? Initially he thought she was crying, but as he got level with the stage he couldn't hear anything from Serena. As he got closer to Serena, she heard him and looked up. She wasn't crying much to Ash's relief.

"I'm sorry, I know I'm not supposed to be here, but I just wanted t-...Ash?" Serena said, surpised that Ash had found her. "What are you doing here?" Ash walked the rest of the way and sat across from Serena. "I could ask you the same thing Serena" She rested her chin on her arms. "I was just thinking" She said avoiding his eyes. "About the competition today?" Ash guessed. "Yes, but some other things too" Ash was wondering why she was acting so strange, but then it came to him. He didn't know for sure, he could be wrong, but it was worth the question "You were thinking about what would happen if you won." Serena didn't move or react, but Ash knew that it was what she was thinking about.

Ash waited a couple of seconds, but Serena still wasn't moving, staring off in the distance. "Serena..." Ash began to say, but then Serena stood up. Ash looked up at Serena, confused at what Serena was doing. Serena walked over to Ash and sat down next to him. She grabbed his arm, and placed her head on his shoulders. "Serena?" Ash started, but was interupted by Serena, "Ash, don't talk please...can you just be here with me." Ash obeyed and sat there in silence, comforting his friend.

Several minutes past, then Serena spoke, "I'm scared Ash..." Ash turned toward Serena, "But not of the finals" He said, Serena just nodded her head, still having it rest on Ash's shoulders. "What Aria and Cynthia said yesterday..." Serena started. Ash understood what Serena was getting at. He had said goodbye to several companions in the past, but Serena was different. He didn't know what to say though, he couldn't make any promises. His mom always told him to never make a promise to a girl if he knew he couldn't keep it. So he said the only thing he knew would always be true. "We'll always be friends Serena." Ash finally said.

 _ **Just friends Ash?**_

Serena thought to herself. She was about to say that when somebody walked up from behind the stage. "Oh I didn't see you there" the person said. It was Aria. Serena let go of Ash and sat up straight. "Hey Aria, sorry if we're not supposed to be here." Aria just waved her hand, "Oh it's nothing, not even I'm supposed to be here anyways" Ash had been looking at Serena since she had let go, but then looked back to Aria, "Then why are you here?" Aria sat down next to them. "I do this every time, I sit right about here and think, at least until security finds me and has to toss me out." She said with a smile at the end. "What do you think about?" Serena asked, "Well, all sorts of stuff. But mostly about what I did since the last Finals competition, and then what I will do after, win or lose."

Serena looked down, that's what she was thinking about too. Aria looked over at Serena and then back to Ash, noticing something was off. "Hey Ash, would you mind giving Serena and I a minute alone?" Serena looked up confused, what did she want to say to her that Ash couldn't be here. "Ok, I'll be in the front lobby" Ash said as he stood up. Aria thanked him and waited until he had left eyesight to look back at Serena.

"You love him, don't you?" Serena was shocked at Aria's straightforward question. "W-what? Why would you ask that?" Aria smiled and sat next to Serena. "When Cynthia and I were telling our story I saw you react at the part where we said we don't see each other as often as we would like. When we said that, you took a quick glance at Ash and you were different the rest of the time." Serena blushed, "I was that easy to read?" Aria put her arm around Serena, "Don't worry, nobody else seemed to notice. Look Serena, it isn't as bad as you think" Serena looked up at Aria. "Have you met Diantha?" Serena nodded her head. "You see, she is the Kalos Champion, and a movie actress. She doesn't really have time to just relax and do whatever she wants" Serena knew this. She remembered when they ran into Diantha at a local resteraunt. She had to be in disquise just so she could get away from it all.

Aria continued, "But being Kalos Queen is nothing like that. Being a champion means certain responsibilities that you can't ignore. Cynthia and Diantha have to help run the Pokemon League in their own regions. But me? Sure I have to travel around Kalos helping organize Performer competitions, but that's nothing compared to what Cynthia has to do."

Serena was still looking at her feet, she knew Aria was trying to help but she just couldn't shake her doubts off. Aria nudged Serena softly, making Serena look at her, "And even if I'm Kalos Queen, I can still at any time relinquish my title." Serena looked at Aria with a confused look, "What do you mean?"

Aria smiled, "Now I don't plan on it, but let's say you beat me," Serena gave a soft laugh, "You will be named the new Kalos Queen, but you can still choose to not step up and BE the Kalos Queen." Serena's eyes widened, "But what will happen? You said you help organize performer competitions, but what if I don't?" Aria just laughed, "The Kalos Queen is more of a figurehead position, unlike a Champion where you're seen as the leader of the regions Pokemon League. The Kalos Performer Organization can easily operate without a Queen. If you do win, and that's still an IF mind you," She said with a wink. "You can still choose to not to take on the responsibility. If you do, you will still be remembered as a Kalos Queen, nothing will be held against you. Plenty of girls before me have done so, and plenty more will do so after us. You'll even have a guaranteed spot in the next years finals, if you choose to."

Serena couldn't believe it, she could attain her dream, and still travel with Ash. Serena stood up, with Aria getting up after her. "Thank you so much, Aria. You have helped me clear my mind again." Before Aria could answer, a security guard walked in, and told them to leave.

They met up with Ash who was sitting on a bench near the entrance. He saw them coming and waved at them. Aria turned to Serena, "Good luck Serena, I'll see you later this afternoon at the finals" Serena looked back at Aria. "Thanks, good luck to you Aria, see you then." She said as she walked toward Ash.

"Hey Serena!" She looked back at Aria who had called her. "You still haven't answered my first question!" It took a second for Serena to think of what she meant.

 _ **Do I love him?!**_

Serena turned red hot, as she looked back at Ash, who was clueless as usual. Aria laughed, "It's ok, you don't have to answer now, but I expect an answer after the finals!" She said as she walked off. "What did she mean by that, Serena?" Ash asked as he went up to Serena. "Ah! Uhh, nothing. It was nothing." Ash tilted his head, wondering why she was acting strange, but then was interupted by his stomach rumbling. They both laughed, "Let's go get breakfast and bring it to the others" Serena suggested. Ash agreed, happy to go grab some breakfast sandwiches.

The sun was over the horizon now, and the city was starting to come alive. As they ordered food for them and their friends, at a nearby cafe, Ash noticed Serena's bright mood, a drastic change to the gloomy almost depressed mood just 15 minutes ago. "Everything ok Serena?" She looked over at Ash, and smiled. "Yes...everything is much better now."

When Ash and Serena came back to their hotel room, Clemont and Bonnie were still asleep. Pikachu, hearing the door open, woke up ran over to Ash and climbed on his shoulder. "Hey buddy, sorry to wake you, but we got everyone some breakfast." He whispered to his partner.

"Pikachu!"

They woke up their friends and they all ate their breakfast. As they finished up, they heard a knock at the door. Ash went up and answered it. It was one of the hotel employees. "Sorry to disturb you sir, but I have a message for an Ash Ketchum." The man said holding an envelope. "That's me, who is it from?" The man gave him the envelope. "Sorry sir, I was sent by my manager. I don't know who gave her the envelope." Ash took the envelope and thanked the man. He closed the door and sat on one of the beds. Serena went over to Ash, "Who is that from?" Ash shook his head, "I don't know, let's see." He said as he broke the seal and pulled out a small paper.

 _ **Ash,**_  
 _ **If you and your friends would like to join me at the Le Wow Resteraunt. I have a reservation at 10am us.**_  
 _ **C**_

"It's from Cynthia" Ash said. "What's the Le Wow?" Clemont, Bonnie, and Serena fell over by their friends ignorance. "Only the best resteraunt in all of Kalos!" Serena said. "It's food and service is unmatched. To go even hope to go there, you have to make a reservation 6 months in advance!" Clemont exclaimed.

Bonnie looked over at Serena, "Isn't the Finals starting at 1pm?" Serena nodded, "I'll be able to go, but I'll have to leave early to get ready." Bonnie jumped on the bed next to Serena and Ash, "That means me too right? You said I could help you dress up you and your pokemon!" Serena laughed and put her hand on Bonnie's head. "Yes of course Bonnie, I didn't forget that." Bonnie raised her arms and shouted in joy, as everyone joined in on a laugh.

They used the rest of their time getting ready. Ash and Clemont were going to go to the finals in their normal gear, but now having been invited to the best resteraunt in Kalos, they had to look their part, much to Ash's dismay. "Ugh, I hate having to do my hair." He said as he tried to comb it into a respectable hairstyle with no avail. Serena looked over and giggled at her friends frustration.

"Here Ash, let me help you." She said entering the bathroom. Ash sighed, and gave her his comb. She stood behind him and started brushing. "Geez Ash, even your hair is stubborn." She said as she tried getting all the knots out. "Ha, I guess my hair takes after me." They both giggled at the comment. It took a couple of minutes, but eventually Serena brushed Ash's hair down. She took a step back to admire her handiwork.

"Well don't you look handsome" Serena said, it took all her strength to not cover her mouth at what she just said.

 _ **You idiot, why did you say that!**_

Ash just looked at his hair, and laughed. "If you say so, I think I look weird though. Hey Bonnie, Clemont. What do you guys think?" Ash said as he exited the bathroom. Bonnie looked over and laughed, "Is that Ash? I didn't recognize you!" The friends all laughed. It was about 9:30 when they were ready. Ash and friends took out their pokemon, and turned on the T.V. "Ok guys, we'll be going to a resteraunt, but we'll be back around noon. Pikachu take care of everyone...and try to not make a mess." The pokemon laughed and grabbed a seat on or near the beds. Serena's pokemon stayed with her though in her pokeballs, she kept them in her bag along with her performance dresses.

When they reached the Le Wow, they saw a line almost a hundred people long. They walked up to the front, with some people scolding at them. "Hey back of the line!" Some of them said. They disregarded the comments, and went up to the front door where large security guard was with a much smaller waitress. The waitress approached them, "Do you four have a reservation?" They all looked at Ash, "Yeah, well no. Our friend does, do you know if Cynthia is here yet. She's expecting us." The waitress looked down at her clipboard and shook her head, "Sorry there isn't a Cynthia in our reservations" The friends were distraught, they dressed up for nothing. Was this some kind of prank from someone else?

"There you are. Over here." A voice came from behind them. There stood Cynthia in a beautiful baby blue dress that went down to her knees. Serena walked up to her, "Wow, you are so beautiful Cynthia, I love your dress." Cynthia smiled from the compliment, "Thank you Serena, you look amazing yourself." Cynthia looked over at Ash, "Oh wow, I didn't recognize you Ash with your hair like that." The 4 friends all laughed with Ash getting a bit red at the embaressment, Cynthia walked over to the waitress and handed her a small slip. "I have a reservation for 5 people, my name is C" The waitress looked down and nodded. "Ah yes, Miss C. Right this way please." She said as the security guard stepped aside.

As they sat down at their table in a corner booth, they were amazed at the architecture, the atmosphere, there was even a small band playing on the other side of the room. Clemont looked around, "How did you afford this Cynthia?"

Bonnie sighed, "She is a champion afterall Clemont" They all laughed, "Yes, being a Champion does have it's perks" They continued to talk and when the waiter took their order, Ash questioned Cynthia, "So why did you invite us? I mean it's great and all, and I appreciate the invite, but we could have just gone to a normal cafe."

Cynthia took a drink from her water and nodded. "Yes, we could have. But you saw how it was in the hotel, with all the reporters?" They all nodded. "Well, not even the press can enter here, and...we're meeting someone else here." They all looked at Cynthia, waiting for her to spill the beans but she shook her head. "It's a surpise." She said as she winked. "But it looks like not for long" The 4 friends followed Cynthia's eyes and noticed a very familiar figure in an all white gown with small angel wings. "Diantha!" They all exclaimed.

Diantha walked over to them, "Such a pleasure to meet you all again. And Ash, I almost didn't recognize you" This time Cynthia joined in on the ongoing joke. As they quieted down, they stared as Diantha sat next to Cynthia. Sure they had seen and been around Diantha before, and Cynthia. But to have the two of them, two Champions, celebrities in their own right at the same table as them was something special. "Good to see you Diantha." Cynthia said as she offered Diantha her extra drink.

After sitting down, Diantha looked at Ash, "Well a little birdie told me you're entering the Pokemon League tournament in two weeks." Ash grinned, "Oh yeah, and remember our deal. If I win, we're going to have a battle." Diantha smiled, "Oh I haven't forgotten that." She looked over at Serena, "Oh my, you're Serena. I love what you did with your hair. It's lovely, are you in the Finals today?" Serena blushed at the compliment and nodded.

"Yeah and she's gonna win!" Bonnie shouted. Diantha laughed, "Well I'll be looking forward to your performance." They all gasped, "You're watching too!" Ash said. Diantha nodded, "Aria invited me, and though my staff at the Pokemon League disagrees with it with the whole League tournament coming up. They can't stop me."

Their food arrived, even Diantha's though she never ordered any while at their table. Serena only had a small salad, and when she was done she excused herself. "Thank you for the time Cynthia, but Bonnie and I have to leave for the Finals." Ash scooted out, so Serena could leave. As she stood up, she reached into her bag and took out the Medical ball. "I trust Pancham to you Ash." Ash took the ball with care, and nodded. "Pancham will be fine." He said, hestitating with the next part, "Give it everything you got Serena!" Serena noticed the hesitation, something was off with Ash's voice, but before she could think about it Bonnie grabbed her hand, leading her toward the exit. The two girls left leaving Ash and Clemont with the two champions.

 _ **Since Aria talked with her, she seems really excited now. At first I thought she had second thoughts about becoming the Kalos Queen, but now there's not doubt she wants to win. Is it what I said earlier? If she does, she'll have to stay here in Kalos and perform her duties. Maybe Aria told her how amazing it was to be Kalos Queen. Even if I stay here, in Kalos, we won't have much time to travel together like we have in the past...Why am I thinking like this? I've always wanted to be a Pokemon master, that meant travelling all over the world finding new challenges to overcome, but now...for the first time I might have found something...someone...more important than my dream.**_

"Ash?"

Ash had been looking at the rest of his food without touching it for some time now. Diantha had noticed and asked him what was bothering him. Ash turned a bit red. "Oh nothing, just you know...nervous for Serena. This is her chance at her dream of becoming Kalos Queen. She's ready, but it's going to be her toughest challenge yet." Clemont nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I know what you mean. She's going up against other fantastic performers that earned their place there AND Aria." Cynthia smiled, Ash noticed and wondered what she was thinking.

"I think you're underestimating your friend." Ash was surpised at Cynthia's confidence in Serena. Ash wasn't underestimating Serena. It was something else bothering him but he dare not admit it here.

"Well, that's not it, it's just...I don't know. I've learned to keep a cool head when I'm in a battle, but seeing a friend go up against their toughest challenge yet..." Ash said, but Diantha interupted, "Imagine how she feels, did you notice how she was shaking when she gave you that pokeball?" Ash hadn't noticed that.  
Cynthia had finished her meal and waved at the waiter for the check. "You don't need to worry Ash. Serena will be fine, win or lose she still has you, Clemont and Bonnie. Nobody could ask for more"

They had finished up, and had walked outside. There was still a massive line waiting to just get a seat in Le Wow. Diantha had said her goodbyes and went out the back entrance as to avoid any unwanted attention. Cynthia's car rolled up, and her driver stepped out and opened her door. "Well that's my ride, boys. I'll try to see you after the Finals then." Ash and Clemont said their goodbyes, and walked back toward the hotel.  
When they got to their room, they found their pokemon in the middle of a pillow fight. When they saw Ash and Clemont they all froze. Greninja had a pillow and was fighting both Chespin and Hawlucha. Pikachu and Bunnelby were having a duel on the table, and Talonflame was perched away from everyone, perferring to not interfere. A pillow fight wasn't a strong suit for a bird pokemon. Ash and Clemont looked at each other and laughed. The pokemon, relieved their trainers weren't mad laughed along with them.

Ash and Clemont changed into their more comfortable clothing, while the pokemon made their truce and cleaned up after their fight. Ash went into the bathroom and messed with his hair until it was its usual style. Once they had everything ready they returned all the pokemon to their balls, and left with just an hour before the Finals were to start.

 **Author's note: Thanks to her talk with Aria, Serena's burden of maybe having to choose between Ash and Kalos Queen has been lifted. The question Aria had asked her ("Do you love him?") before they left had made her flustered and she forgot to tell Ash the good news. Little did she know that this one little detail could start to form a rift between Ash and Serena.**


	6. Chapter 6: The Master Performer Finals

**Chapter 6: The Master Performer Finals**

Ash and Clemont found their seats, it was about halfway up the stands and was just left of the middle. Ash took out the Medical ball and released Pancham into the seat next to him. "Hey Pancham, you feeling alright?" Pancham looked up at Ash and raised his good arm, "Pan!" Pikachu jumped off Ash's shoulder to sit next to Pancham.

With 15 minutes left before the show, Bonnie came up to them and sat down next to Clemont. "Hey Bonnie, is Serena ready?" Clemont asked. Bonnie smiled, "Oh yeah, I personally made sure Sylveon was looking its absolute best too." Ash was looking around the still growing crowd. It looked like it was going to be a full house. Clemont noticed his friend's wandering gaze. "Who you looking for Ash?" Ash kept on looking, "I'm trying to find Cynthia or Diantha" He said. Clemont laughed, "Oh Ash, they wouldn't be in the normal crowd like we are." Ash looked at Clemont. "What do you mean, where else would they be?" Clemont pointed above them towards the back of the stadium. "They would be in one of those VIP boxes behind the glass." Ash looked up, he couldn't see anyone in the boxes due to the angle. "Hmm, I guess you're right. Man, being a champion sure has its perks."

At 1pm, the lights had dimmed, and everyone shushed, and focused on the stage. Then a lone light shined in the middle of the stage, yet no one was there. Then a familiar booming voice echoed through the stadium.

"Bonjuer all you lovers of Pokemon. I am your host Monsieur Pierre, and welcome to the 47th Annual Master Performer Finals" With that, an explosion of smoke erupted on stage, obscurring it from view. As it settled, a lone figure stood in the middle. It was Pierre. The crowd erupted in applause, and then Ash noticed as the smoke continued to clear there were 5 other firgures behind Pierre, still in shadow.

"I take the pleasure in introducing you to our 5 elegant finalists in this years Master Performer Finals!" Another round of applause erupted from the audience. Serena must be one of them, Ash thought. "These lovely ladies have earned their right here to challenge the current Kalos Queen by earning three Princess Keys from across Kalos, and winning a Master Trial." Pierre exclaimed.

"Our first contestant, hailing from the beautiful coastal city of Cyllage, welcome Performer Katheryn!" A spotlight focused on the left most figure, revealing a brunette girl with an Ocean blue dress, alongside her was a Starmie and a Vivillion that had the same color blue as Katheryn's dress. There was applause with certain parts of the crowd being louder, obvious fans of her.

"Our next contestant, hailing from the ancient and mysterious city of Laverre, welcome Performer Olita!" Another spotlight lit up the right most contestant, and revealed a red headed girl. She had a red and white dress that had feathers at the waist and below. Beside her was a Togekiss, and an Altaria. Yet another round of applause.

"Our third contestant, hailing from the frozen beauty that is Snowbelle City, welcome Performer Lucia!" A spotlight revealed the 2nd left figure, showing a blonde girl. She had a pure white dress that went down just below her knees. With her was a Glaceon, and a Doublade." There was an applause, but it seemed like a section of the crowd erupted into a thunderous roar, making some people giggle at their tenacity.

"And now our fourth contestant, hailing from the beautiful small gem that is Vaniville Town," Ash, and friends tensed up, this was Serena. "Welcome Performer Serena!" A spotlight shown on Serena, who was the 2nd right figure. She had a pink dress with small red and white hearts down one side of it. Ash noticed how similiar it looked to her Ryhorn racing uniform, but this was obviously a more elegant dress. Though he was far away, he couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was. Next to her were her partners, Braixen and Sylveon. The crowd applauded, but the loudest roar came from a group of two boys and a small girl near the middle of the crowd.

"And our fifth contestant, hailing from right here in Luminose City, welcome reigning Kalos Queen, Aria!" The final spotlight shown on the center figure revealing the pink haired girl. She had a gold and white dress that glittered in the spotlight. By her side was her Delpox and Aromatisse. Aria had the biggest applause, as they stadium almost shook from the crowd's roar.

"Unlike other competitions, all Performers will participate at the same time in the preliminary round." The crowd fell silent as Pierre continued, "This first round will test everything the ladies have learned thus far in their previous competitions, all at the same time." Ash gasped, "At the same time! What does he mean?" Clemont shook his head, "I don't know..."

As they were wondering about what could be in store, the stage transformed before their very eyes. In front of the performers rose five small podiums, and behind them rose 5 different kitchen sets. Of to the side rose a series of objects. There was a rocky wall that rose 50 feet in the air, along with several boulders next to it. And next to the boulders was a large pile of berries of at least ten thousand berries.

"Each performer with choose one of their pokemon to race the others to find a small white orb to bring back over the finish line. They can find those orbs either at the top of the rock wall, inside the boulders, are hidden amongst the pile of berries. The pokemon that finds an orb will grant their trainer the right to answer the current question. There will be a total of 8 questions, and each question answered correctly will add 30 seconds to your time. What time do you ask? If you look behind each performer, there are 5 identical kitchen sets. After all 8 questions are answered, we will move on to the Pokepuff phase of the round. Each performer is granted 5 minutes to create and bake their Pokepuff, but those who answered questions correctly will have more time to design the perfect Pokepuff."

Clemont understood, "So the more questions Serena answers correctly the more time she'll have to make her best Pokepuff." Ash and Bonnie nodded their heads, as they understood too. This was going to be Serena's hardest test yet. Pierre continued, "Each PokePuff will then be judged by our panel of 7 judges to see which three Performers will reach the final freestyle round."

The Performers each picked their one pokemon. Katheryn went with her Starmie, Olita with her Altaria, Lucia with her Doublade, Serena with her Sylveon, and Aria with her Delphox. The five pokemon got ready at the start and finish line, ready for the race to begin.

"Our first question is: Gardevoir is the final evolution of Ralts, but it isn't the only one. Which is the other final evolution of Ralts?" Pierre said, "Alright, Pokemon are you ready? Set...GO!"

The five pokemon went racing. Altaria started to soar up to the top of the rocky wall. Starmie and Doublade went over to the boulders and started chipping away at the rock. Delphox and Sylveon dove into the berry pile in search of one of the white orbs. The crowd looked on anxiously, waiting for the first pokemon to find their orb. They got their answer as Altaria found one of the orbs at the top of the wall, and started for the finish line. Ash looked at the berry pile, wondering if Sylveon had found its orb. Then to everyone's amazement the berry pile burst open as both Sylveon and Delpohx emerged, each with a orb in hand. The crowd erupted in cheers as the three pokemon raced back toward the finish line. While Altaria had found its orb first, it still had the vertical distance to go as well. Sylveon was neck and neck with Delphox originally, but Sylveon was faster and it crossed the finish line first, giving Serena the first guess.

"Performer Serena, your answer?" Pierre asked Serena. "The other evolution is Gallade." Ash yelled in joy as he knew that Serena was right before the bell chimed, signalling she was correct. "That is correct, you have earned yourself an extra 30 seconds. And now for the 2nd question: The pokemon Sycther can evolve into Scizor under what condition? Pokemon are you ready? Set...GO!"

Again the Pokemon went racing, but this time Delphox had found its orb almost immediately and ran across the finish line before the others could fine theirs. "Performer Aria, your answer?" Pierre asked Aria, "Sycther can evolve if it's traded while holding a metal coat" The bell chimed again, signalling that Aria was correct.

The competition continued until the final question was answered. The final score was Aria in the lead with 3 answers, Katheryn with two, and the other three performers with one answer. The 5 performers left the stage to change into their cooking attire. When they came back they took their positions inside their own kitchens.

"Due to having 3 answered questions, Performer Aria will begin first. Then after 30 seconds have past, Performer Katheryn will start, and after another 30 seconds have past, Performers Olita, Lucia, and Serena will begin. After that, they will all have 5 and a half minutes to prepare their PokePuffs for our judges." Pierre explained to the audience.

Ash, Clemont and Bonnie were nervous. 5 minutes was barely enough to make a Pokepuff, and Serena only got herself and extra 30 seconds. "You can do it Serena" Ash whispered to himself.

"Are all Performers ready? Set the timer...and BEGIN!" The clock started and Aria began creating her Pokepuff with her Aromatisse. The crowd watched as she gathered all her materials needed to start. Katheryn was getting ready for her start. At the 30 second mark, Pierre announced Katheryn to start, and she went and collected her ingredients with her Vivillion. Serena was getting ready for her cue with Braixen. At the one minute mark, Pierre told the other three performers to start. The crowd cheered on the performers.

For Ash, Clemont and Bonnie, it was a very nerve racking time. They had always supported their friend, helped her along every step of the way to this moment. But here, all she had was herself and Braixen to rely on. All they could do is hope Serena would come out on top.

As the time came down to it's last minute Aria and Katheryn were just about done, but Serena had just taken her Pokepuff out of the oven. She had very little time to decorate her Pokepuff. The same was happening to Olita and Lucia. As the time was reaching it's last twenty seconds, the crowd was roaring, cheering on the Performers until the very end. Serena had caught up, and at the last second put the last detail on her Pokepuff. She had done it, never before had she worked so fast and fluid before. She hugged her Braixen, they had done all they could.

Pierre gathered the 5 Pokepuff samples each performer offered. The crowd was silent as the 7 judges took a bite out of each Pokepuff. They were in a sound proof box, so their deliberation was unheard by the audience. After 5 minutes they came to an agreement and the lead judge gave Pierre a small slip of paper. The 5 Performers gathered together at the front of the stage, ready for the judges verdict.

"The preliminary round is over, the judges have decided on the three performers that will battle it out in the freestyle round for the title of Kalos Queen." Pierre announced, "The first finalist, is...Our reigning Queen, Aria!" The crowd erupted in applause, estatic that Aria would perform for them today. Aria stepped forward and the crowd fell silent for the next finalist. "Our next finalist is...Olita!" The crowd applauded again, as Olita stepped forward. Ash, Clemont, Bonnie, and the whole crowd held their breath, Serena had her eyes closed. This was it.

"Joining these two is our last finalist..." Pierre said as he looked at the last name. Ash clenched his fists, his heart beating faster and faster.

 _ **C'mon Serena, I believe in you.**_

"Performer Serena!" Pierre shouted.

Serena's eyes opened wide, her mouth open in amazement. She had done it. She couldn't think of anything, due to her shock but also from the thunderous roar from the audience. Braixen grabbed her hand, snapping her out of her trance, and together they walked forward and joined Aria and Olita. Pierre walked over to them, raising his hands to quiet the crowd.

"These our are three finalists. They will participate in the final freestyle round. Will Aria retain her crown as Kalos Queen, or will Olita or Serena become the new Queen? Before that, let's give a warm applause for Katheryn and Lucia and their hard work, I hope we get to see you again next year." The crowd clapped their hands for the two as they walked off the stage.

Pierre stood in front of the three girls "Now we will decide what order you three will go. As reigning Kalos Queen, Aria reserves the right in going last. So now we will flip a coin, heads will represent you Olita, and tails will represent Serena. Whatever side it lands on, will decide if they want to go first or second." Pierre explained to them. He flipped the coin and it landed on his hand. It was heads. "I'll go second" Olita said. Pierre turned around and faced the crowd. "And there you have it Pokemon lovers, our first Performer will be Serena followed by Olita and last will be Aria. The final round will begin in 15 minutes!" The crowd cheered once more, as the four went back stage.

Bonnie tugged at Clemont's arm. "Clemont I need to go to the bathroom!" Clemont sighed, "Ok Bonnie, lets hurry, there is going to be a long line soon." The two siblings left, leaving Ash alone with Pikachu and Pancham. He looked over at the two pokemon, and they were still cheering. Pikachu jumping up and down, and Pancham doing its best to not aggravate its arm couldn't help but jump up and down as well. Ash smiled at the two pokemon, but was deep in his own thoughts.

 _ **You did it Serena...Now's your chance at fulfilling your dream. Even if I want you to keep travelling with me and Pikachu. I won't get in the way of your dream. I'm behind you all the way.**_

The 15 minutes were almost done, Ash was worried if Clemont and Bonnie wouldn't be able to make it, but just as the lights began to dim, Bonnie came running to her seat with Clemont close behind. "Phew...just made it." Clemont said, almost out of breath. Pierre walked onto the stage from the back, and the crowd fell silent.

"Welcome back, Pokemon lovers! We now are at the precipice of three girls dreams. All their hard work, the countless hours practicing, the sleepless nights working, all comes down to these last few moments. How will we crown the winner? Well, by you of course! Each of you is holding a small baton with three colored buttons. When all three performers have done their final routine, you will choose the color representing the performer you believe should be crowned Kalos Queen. But that is only for those in the audience. For those tuning in from around the world in their living room. You will be able to vote as well. When the voting begins, a prompt will appear on your T.V's and you'll be able to vote!"

The three friends looked at each other with surprised looks. There would be thousands, maybe millions watching from around Kalos and the world. They would be voting as well.

"Without further adieu, it is my pleasure to give the stage to our first finalist, Performer Serena!" From the center of the stage, rose a platform. Standing there, with her two partner Pokemon with tens of thousands of people watching from around the world, was Serena. She was wearing her pink dress from before. Ash hadn't felt this nervous before. He had similar feelings while battling against Gary, Paul, and Tobias in Pokemon league tournaments of the past but never had these feelings while on the sideline. He was sweating and nobody noticed, not even him. All eyes and focus were on Serena.

For Serena, she had thought she would be nervous, even stage frightened. But with the great news from Aria, she knew she would be happy win or lose...but that didn't mean she wasn't going to try her best. She was the most relaxed she had ever been while performing.

And then...the music started.

As the lovely sound filled the air, Serena and her Braixen started dancing around each other. Their movements in sync and perfectly parallel from each other. Sylveon was between them, and it started with an upward Fairy Wind, that engulfed the stage with beautiful pink light sparkles. Then as the music reached its first climax, Braixen raised her wand stick in the air and shot a fireball into the sky exploding as it reached the top of the Fairy wind cylinder made by Sylveon. Now there was a torrent of red sparkles raining down as pink sparkles were rising up. Sylveon and Braixen then went to opposite sides of the stage, with Serena still in the middle, all of them still dancing in sync with the music and with each other. At a hidden cue, Sylveon bolted toward Serena as the other two continued dancing. As Sylveon approached Serena, Braixen shot a series of three rings of fire in the air above Serena. Sylveon jumped on Serena's arm, and with her assistance launched up and jumped through all three rings. As Sylveon went through each ring, it exploded in another brilliance of red light.

The crowd watched in amazement. This was truly a performance worthy of the Master Performers Final. Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie all watched in awe. They had seen this performance before, but seeing it now, when it really counted, was mesmerizing. They had done everything perfectly up to now, but now came the last, hardest, and most dangerous part in the routine. Sylveon and Braixen had finished their aerial dance of Flamethrower and Dazzling Gleam, but now they stood on opposite sides again, with Serena in the middle. They both wound up their final attacks, and fired Flamethrower and Fiary Wind toward Serena. The crowd gasped in awe and shock as Serena was engulfed by both attacks.

As the fire and dust settle down, everyone erupted into a thunderous applause. There in the middle stood Serena, surrounded by pink sparkles, but the most surpising thing was that now attached to Serena's back was a pair of wings made entirely of fire. Braixen and Sylveon jumped next to Serena and finished with one last stance. The entire crowd stood as they continued to applaud. Ash and Clemont joined in, while Bonnie was jumping up and down with Pikachu. Ash looked down at Pancham next to him, the little pokemon was crying in joy. As Pierre walked onto the stage, the crowd eventually quieted down and took their seat.

"I have never witnessed such fiery grace. And to think this is your first Master Finals. One more time for Performer Serena!" The crowd again went into a loud applause. Serena's fire wings went out, and her pokemon embraced her before walking backstage.

"Pancham! Pan Pan!"

Pancham had jumped down from his seat and was going for the exit. Ash caught him and picked him up. "Woah, where you going Pancham?" Pancham looked up at Ash, "Pan Pancham!" The pokemon said as he pointed back at the stage. Ash nodded his head, "You want to see Serena now?" The Pokemon smiled and shook his head in excitement. "Haha, ok hold on. Hey Clemont, I'm going to see if Pancham and I can go see Serena." Clemont had been listening in, "That's fine Ash, I'll stay here with Bonnie." Ash said his goodbye and started going toward the exit in the back with Pancham in his arm. Pikachu had jumped on his shoulder. "Ha, you want to go congratulate Serena too?" He asked the little mouse, "Pikachu!"

Due to the Master Performer Finals being televised all over, there were commercial breaks. Olita, the next Performer to go, wasn't going to start for another 5 minutes. As Ash was walking towards the Performer locker rooms, he never noticed the 2 pairs of eyes spying on him, plotting to ruin everyones day.


	7. Chapter 7: And the Winner is

**Chapter 7: And the Winner is...**

When Ash came up to the entrance to the Performers area, there were two security guards.

"Stop right there, this area is off limits to the public." The male security guard said. Ash stepped forward. "But I'm a friend of Serena, and this is Pancham, one of her pokemon. We just wanted to see her." The two guards shook their head, "Those are the rules, nobody is allowed in." Ash then had an idea.

"Well, can you tell Serena that Ash and Pancham would like to see her? If we can't go in, then could she come out and see us?" He asked the guards. The guards laughed, then the female one stepped forward. "You really want to see her, don't you? Is she your girlfriend?"

Ash took a step back, surprised at the straightforward question. "What? Uh, no she's just a friend. Please, if you just tell her I'm here with Pancham, she'll be sure to come out." The female guard was getting angry at Ash's stubbornness. "Look twerp, you don't get to tell us what to do!" Ash took another step back.

 _ **Wait a minute...is that?!**_

"TEAM ROCKET!" Ash shouted, Pikachu jumped down from his shoulders ready for a fight. The two security guards jumped back towards the door, ripping off their guard uniforms revealing James and Jesse from Team Rocket. "Prepare for trouble..." Jess started, "And make that double..." James continued.

"What are you two doing?!" Ash interupted the duo. Jesse got angry, at Ash ruining their trademark intro, "Hey, you don't get to interupt us!" Ash had enough, but was also worried at what Team Rocket was doing guarding the door leading to Serena and the other performers. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash commanded, but before he could James threw a smoke bomb down, stunning Pikachu from using its attack.

When the dust settled, the duo was gone. Ash ran to the door, but it was locked. He put Pancham down and shoulder charged the door. It wouldn't budge. After the fifth attempt, Pancham stopped Ash. "What is it Pancham?" Pancham just stepped in front of Ash, and raised its good arm, the paw was glowing. "Paaaan...CHAM!" It shouted as it struck the ground. Then a glowing rock pierced out the ground and slammed into the door, shattering it. "Good job, Pancham, c'mon let's go!" Ash said as he picked up Pancham. He ran through the doorway with Pikachu leading the way.

Serena and Aria were trapped, cornered by a Meowth, Gourgeist, and Inkay. In a surprise attack, they were overhwhelmed and both of their pokemon had been trapped in specialized cages. They had attacked when Olita had left to perform her routine on stage. "Who are these people Serena?" Aria asked, but Meowth answered the question for her, "We're Team Rocket, and now the proud owners of these pokemon" He said pointing at the caged pokemon. Wait...did that Meowth just talk?" Aria said surpised. She could understand her Delphox and Aromatisse very well, but it was another thing to have a pokemon actually speaking in a human language.

James and Jesse came running around the corner. "Hurry up Meowth, the twerp is here!" Jesse said. Serena's eyes light up. It was Ash, somehow he was here and about to rescue her and Aria. A second later, they heard a crash. Team Rocket grabbed the cages holding the trapped pokemon, and ran. Seconds later Ash came running in. "Ash!" Serena shouted, happy to see him but was worried about their pokemon. "Team Rocket ran off that way with Braixen and Sylveon, they took Aria's pokemon too!"  
Ash went to Serena, and started to untie her as Pikachu used Iron Tail to break Aria's bonds. After they were free, they went off chasing Team Rocket. They found them outside the back of the stadium loading up the pokemon on the side of their balloon. As they confronted them, Ash gave Serena Pancham, and took out two pokeballs. "C'mon out Greninja and Hawlucha!" Ash said as he threw out his two Pokemon, who were joined by Pikachu.

"Inkay use Psybeam, slow them down!" James said, "Gourgeist use Shadow ball!" Jesse said joining the battle. "Pikachu, use Eletro Ball, Greninja use Water Shuriken!" Ash countered. The four attacks collided, ending in a draw. "Now Hawlucha..." Ash said, leaving Team rocket and their Pokemon confused. They had lost sight of Ash's third Pokemon. "...High Jump Kick!" Ash finished. Hawlucha had flown up and was now bearing down on Jesse's Gourgeist. It didn't see it coming until it was too late. Hawlucha connected its kick and sent the Pokemon crashing down into Team Rockets balloon. "Oh, you idiot! You destroyed our way out of here!" James said. Ash smiled, "That's not all Hawlucha did."

Team Rocket looked back. Braixen and Sylveon's cage had been broken, and they were now free. Serena stepped forward, "Braixen and Sylveon time to give Team Rocket a farewell gift!" The two pokemon charged up and used Flamethrower and Moonblast. It hit Team Rocket directly and launched them skyward. "We're blasting off again!"

With the battle over, Greninja went over to Aria's pokemon and used Cut to break the cages. Aria went over and hugged her two pokemon, as Serena came over and hugged Ash. "What were you doing here anyway Ash?" Aria asked. Serena let go of Ash, she was wondering that too. Her mind came to the conclusion that Ash wanted to see her. Thanks to everyone looking at Ash, she was able to hide her blushed cheeks.

"Oh yeah, well after your performance Serena, Pancham wanted to congratulate you, Braixen, and Sylveon." Ash said. Serena though a little disappointed in the answer, looked down at Pancham in her arms. "Is that true, were we good?" She asked her Pokemon. "Pancham!" It said happily. Ash stepped forward, "Good? You were amazing. We may have seen your routine almost a hundred times, but this one was the best by far!" Serena looked down, a bit embarrassed by the compliment as her cheeks turned a little more red. "Oh, thank you Ash."

At that time, someone came out of the door they had exited. "Miss Aria, there you are! Olita has just finished her performance. You're up in 15 minutes!" He said. The three trainers gasped, in the heat of the battle they had forgotten that the contest was still going on. They rushed back into the stadium.

Serena helped Aria fix her outfit and makeup as they had been a bit messed up from the encounter with Team Rocket. "You didn't need to do that, Serena" Aria said as they finished. Serena shook her head, "It wouldn't be fair Aria. Besides, you're my friend!" Aria smiled and gave Serena a hug. "Thank you Serena, you know...even as Kalos Queen, it's hard finding genuine friends like you."

Olita had returned. "Uh...what happened here?" She said looking around the damaged room. The three friends looked at each other and laughed. Behind Olita, was Monsieur Pierre, "My dear Aria what happened, and who is this boy?" Pierre said said as he pointed at Ash. Aria stepped forward. "It's ok Pierre, this is Ash, he helped us when thieves came and tried to steal our Pokemon. He's a friend of Serena" Pierre looked back at Aria, "Oh my, are you ok my lady?" Aria laughed, "Yes, I am fine. We should get going, we wouldn't want our audience waiting too long, right?"

Pierre looked at the clock on the wall. "We can always delay your performance..." He started to say, but Aria interupted, "No, no...that won't be necessary. Really I'm fine, and we're ready to go" Pierre bowed, "As you wish, if you would come with me, we have two minutes until your performance." Aria turned back to Serena gave her a hug, and then went off with Pierre towards the stage.

When they left, a group of Officer Jenny arrived to secure the scene. After being questioned and released, Ash looked around, "Well, I guess I should get back to my seat. Clemont and Bonnie must be worried where I am." He was about to leave, when Serena grabbed his hand. "Wait Ash...would you mind staying here?" She said, "I-If you don't mind..." She said this time looking down.

 _ **Why did I ask that!**_

The lead Officer Jenny walked up, "I'm sorry, but only Performers are allowed in here. Ash thank you for what you did, but you'll have to leave. We can take it from here." She said. Serena looked disappointed, but Ash didn't see it. He simply nodded, grabbed Pancham and walked out, only giving a quick goodbye to Serena. As he left the room, Serena was left to her own thoughts.

 _ **He didn't even argue to stay here. Sure it was Officer Jenny but they knew he wasn't a bad guy, they might have allowed him to stay if he insisted. This past week we were getting...close. I even thought he was giving me some hints, but now since breakfast, what's with him? Ugh...why is this so difficult?**_

Little did she know that the boy she was thinking about hadn't gone to his seat yet, but instead sat down at a bench nearby to collect his thoughts as well.

 _ **Before the show I had made up my mind to not get in the way of Serena's dream. But now, saving her, seeing her smile as she was reunited with her Pokemon...and then when she asked me to stay. Does she know that if she becomes Kalos Queen we won't be able to travel together again? Sure Cynthia and Aria still have a good friendship and stay in touch, but what if I want more? I've said goodbye to a lot of good friends over the years, but Serena she's...different, in all the right ways...I don't want her to go. I don't want to say goodbye.**_

A single tear ran down the boy's cheek. "Pika?" The small mouse had hopped off its trainer's shoulder and sat next to him. Pikachu was looking up at Ash with a worried but confused look. Ash looked over at his friend and placed his hand on its head rubbing it. "Pika!" It said with a happy expression. "It's ok Pikachu, just thinking about what's next. You know after tomorrow it's 100% full on training for the Kalos league!" Ash said. Pikachu, knowing Ash for more than 6 years knew that it was something else, but decided to not push it further. "Pikachu!" It said.

With that, a roar of applause could be heard. Ash looked at a nearby T.V on the wall. Aria had finished her routine, and according to the intensity of the crowd, it must have been amazing. With that, Ash got up and went back to his seat. When he returned, Clemont and Bonnie were relieved. "Jeez Ash where were you? You missed Aria's performance! We were getting worried that Team Rocket had ambushed you." Bonnie said with a laugh.

Ash laughed back of them, which made the two siblings look at each other with confused looks. "Well, you were almost right. Team Rocket did attack, but they attacked the Performers and almost stole their Pokemon." Bonnie gasped, "You mean Serena too?!" Ash nodded, "Yes, but we took care of it, even Pancham helped." He said, looking down at Pancham in his arms. "Pancham!"

Before he could explain what happened any further, Pierre had walked back onto the stage. "Never in my years as host have I seen such beauty, such elegance in our three finalists. This truly is a historic day for us. I would happily award our three ladies the title of Kalos Queen, but alas it isn't up to me. That pleasure lies with all of you here, and everyone around the world tuning in. You all have a difficult choice to make. Who will be this years Kalos Queen?" He pointed behind him to his right, "Will it be Performer Serena?" A spotlight shined on Serena standing there with Braixen and Sylveon. The crowd broke out into applause. "Or will it be Performer Olita?" On the left of Pierre another light revealed Olita. "Or will our current Kalos Queen retain her title for the third year in a row!" The final spotlight showed Aria in the middle. The crowd was on its feet again, applauding all three Performers.

Three keyholes appeared above the Performers. Serena's was pink, Aria's was blue, and Olita's was yellow. "These fine ladies have done all they can to capture your hearts and your vote. Each one has practiced for hundreds of hours, had to endure restless nights. They fought gracefully to reach where they are now. But now...everything is in your hands. One...Two...Three! Vote now!" With that Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie raised their PokeLumes, which were now pink. Everyone else had done so as well, but some were yellow and blue.

Ash noticed that the inside of the keyholes weren't filling up, but instead were blacked out. They were going hide the results until everyone had voted. Pierre pointed toward the ceiling, "And now for those of you who have voted from your homes!" Ash looked up and saw a stream of pink, blue, and yellow orbs coming from several points along the ceiling. The amount of orbs raining down towards the three contestants was impossible to count. "There must be a million of them!" Clemont said, as everyone looked up in awe as the wave of colors continued to pour in. After a minute had passed, the amount of orbs died down a bit.

"It looks like the last votes are coming in, oh the excitement is killing me. Who will take home to title of Kalos Queen?" Pierre said. After that, the last orbs had floated down. "And with that, the votes are in." From back stage, a Klefki floated over to Pierre and handed him a small envelope. "Ah here we are," He said as he opened the letter. "Now before I reveal our Kalos Queen, I would like to congratulate and thank all of you for breaking our previous record for amount of votes. Last year, we had over 2 million votes, but today? We tallied all the votes, and over 4 million of you have voted!" The crowd gasped together, even the three performers on stage.

"And now, without further adieu, the results...the 2nd runner up, with 22% of the votes. Performer Olita!" The crowd had mixed responses. There was an overall applause, but you could tell there were several in the audience that didn't agree with the results. "Very well done Olita. We all hope to see again next year." Olita bowed her head and walked off stage. Serena and Aria walked toward each other and held hands. They had become great rivals, but better friends.

The crowd settled down, falling silent for Pierre to reveal the runner up, and the winner. "Now these two wonderful ladies are all that's left. Both of them could be Kalos Queen, because according to our votes, only 8,000 votes seperate them. With one of our closest finals ever, our runner up, with 38.6% of the votes is Performer..." The crowd held its breath.

For Ash and Serena, this moment was an eternity for them. Both knew that the next moment could forever change their lives. For Serena winning would be a dream come true. For Ash, Serena winning would be something else entirely.

Pierre looked up from the envelope and took a deep breath...

"Serena!" Pierre shouted, "Which means Aria has once again retained her title as Kalos Queen!" The crowd went wild. Confetti started falling down from the ceiling covering the stage. Clemont and Bonnie slouched down on their seats. "She was so close." Clemont sighed.  
"But she was so awesome! Oh it's no fair!" Bonnie said, upset that Serena had lost.

But for Ash, it was a bittersweet moment. Serena had lost, which meant she could continue to travel with him and he was happy, but he thought about what Serena might be feeling now. Ash felt ashamed, he was being selfish. He knew the sting of defeat all too well when he was so close in previous Pokemon Leagues. She must be feeling the same way. Clemont asked if Ash was okay, but Ash lied.

He didn't want to tell Clemont what he was really thinking.

 **Author/Narrator note: So close! Serena had come in 2nd place at the Finals. Though she hadn't attained the title of Kalos Queen, Serena was content at what she was able to accomplish in her first year as a Pokemon Performer. She had Ash to thank the most. Without him she wouldn't be anywhere near where she was now.**

 **But for Ash, he will now be struggling with his new emotions. In that moment when Pierre had announced that Serena was the runner up and not the Kalos Queen, Ash had felt happiness. Ash hated himself for being so selfish.**

 **What will happen to their relationship next? Find out next time!**


	8. Chapter 8: The Fog of Love

**Chapter 8: The Fog of Love**

After the ceremony in which Aria was crowned Kalos Queen once again. Serena had met her friends near the front entrance of the stadium. They all congratulated Serena on such a great performance. They couldn't have been more proud of her and how far she's come. However, Serena could sense something was off with Ash.

 _ **What's with him? He's so distant now...Is he that bummed that I didn't win? No...he was like this before the finals too.**_

They stood there in silence, a bit of awkwardness in the air. Bonnie broke the silence with a yawn, "Ah...I'm so tired. It's not even 7pm" she said. Clemont picked her up, piggyback style. "Well you've had a busy day. You helped with Serena, and you were jumping up and down for the most part during the competition" He said. Three of the friends laughed. Ash, who was lost in his own thought looked up. "Yeah, it's been a long day, I think we should go back to the hotel and have an early night."

As they walked back across the street to their hotel, Serena couldn't shake her feelings about Ash. Did she say something wrong earlier? Did something happen when she left for the finals? Serena was first in the bathroom, getting all the make up off and getting ready for bed. When she got out of the bathroom in her pajamas, Bonnie was already fast asleep on her bed. Clemont was rolling out his sleeping bag, but Ash was nowhere to be seen.

Before Serena could ask, Clemont answered her question. "He left to go think about something with his Pokemon." Serena questioned Clemont, "What was that something?" Clemont shook his head, "I don't know, he just said that he needed to think. He also said that he didn't want to be disturbed." Clemont stood up and faced Serena with a puzzled look.

"Do you know what's up with Ash, Serena?" He asked. It was her time to shake her head. "He's been like this since this morning. I hope everything is ok." She said with a worried tone. Clemont walked up to Serena, "He said he was fine to me, but then..." Clemont started.

"...He told me to tell you not to go after him. That he wanted to be alone for awhile..." He said. Serena interupted, "But why would he say that?" Clemont looked down, "I don't know, but I think we should respect his privacy."

Clemont left her standing there in the middle of the floor as he went to his sleeping bag. She took a long look at the door, contemplating whether to look for Ash or respect his wishes to be left alone. Eventually she decided to leave Ash alone, and climbed into bed. Serena decided to wait for Ash to come back. An hour had past, and the two siblings had been asleep for most of it. Serena had been teary eyed for the entire time but soon felt her eyelids getting heavier. She silently cried herself to sleep.

When Serena awoke, the sun was just rising. She looked down from her bed to see if Ash had made it back. His sleeping bag was out, which it hadn't been last night, but it was empty. A note was next to her bedstand.

 **Got up early to start training. I'll be at the Pokemon Center practice arena. -Ash**

She silently got dressed, making sure not to wake up Clemont or Bonnie. She slipped out of the room, and made her way downstairs. When she left the hotel, she ran into Cynthia by the side of the road.

"Oh hey Serena, how are you?" The champion asked. "Oh fine, thank you. Just getting some fresh air." Serena answered, not giving away her true intentions. Cynthia nodded, "Yes, fresh air. Something that we all have to get sooner or later. It's been a long time since I've had a break like this one in Luminose. People like Aria and I tend to forget how beneficial a break from your daily routine can do to you." Cynthia explained.

They stood there in silence, watching Luminose spring to life again as the sun broke the horizon. "Speaking of Aria, you know I voted for you yesterday?" Cynthia added. Serena looked at Cynthia astonished. "Really?!" Cynthia nodded her head. "Oh yes, for two reasons. First, you deserved it. Your performance will be remembered long after today. Second, I kind of wanted Aria to lose" Serena tilted her head, "Why would you want her to lose, isn't she your friend?" Cynthia smiled, "Yes, but it gets kind of boring for the same person to win year after year. Aria will now be Kalos Queen for three straight years now. It also isn't healthy for a person like her to live like that." Cynthia said. Serena remembered how Aria said how hard it was for her to find true friends.

Cynthia continued, "I mean look at me, I've been the Sinnoh League Champion for 5 years straight now. Though I won't make it easy, I can't wait for the person who will take my place one day. Who knows, maybe it will be Ash if he decides to take on the Sinnoh League again. You know...besides me, only Lance from the Indigo Plateu has been a champion longer. But he's a different story, he lives for that kind of stuff. I'm not sure exactly, but he's been in the Elite Four for 28 years, and been champion for 12 of those years."

A car pulled up in front of them. Cynthia picked up her bag that was next to her. "Well there's my ride, Serena. Tell the others I said goodbye" Serena said her goodbye and watched the champion go back to her life. Her break from being a champion was now over.

Once the car was out of sight, she continued onward toward the nearby Pokemon Center. When she arrived, she went around back toward the practice arena. She saw Ash, and next to him was Pikachu. Infront of him was Greninja and it was fighting something. As she rounded the corner, she gasped seeing what Greninja was fighting. A giant orange dragon that was spitting out flames. It had used a powerful Flamerthrower that was countered by Greninja's Water Shuriken. In an instant, the two Pokemon collided. Greninja had used Cut, and the orange pokemon now had its arms glowing green. Again, both attacks stalemated and both Pokemon broke off the engagement.

Serena looked towards the other side of the Arena, wondering who the dragon pokemons trainer was. She expected it to be Alain. It had been awhile since they had ran into the trainer. But there wasn't any, nobody else was nearby. Wondering if this was a wild pokemon, she heard Ash's commanding voice.

"Greninja, use Double Team along with Water Shuriken! Charizard use Overheat!" He shouted. Serena eyes widened. This...Charizard pokemon belonged to Ash? Serena could feel the air heat up around her. Charizard was glowing bright as Greninja had multiplied to a few dozen and had launched a multitude of Water Shurikens. Before they hit Charizard, a bright flash exploded from Charizard, making Serena cover her eyes. "ASH!" She screamed.

As the heat dissipated, Serena looked up. Ash was still there, along with Greninja and Charizard who were still standing but were bruised and exhausted from their battle. Ash went over to the two pokemon telling both of them how great they were. Charizard caught sight of Serena, and motioned to Ash to look.

"Oh hey Serena, you got my note." Ash said seeing Serena. Serena hadn't felt a bit mad at Ash about leaving without a word last night. She had been worried, sad, confused, crying herself to sleep, but frustration or anger had never been on her mind...that is until now. She went up to Ash and slapped him. When Ash looked back at Serena wondering what the heck that was for, he noticed she was in tears. "Where were you Ash, I was worried sick about you." She said trying to keep the tears at bay.

"You said nothing, just walked out as I was in the bathroom, and what's worse, you told Clemont to tell me not to go after you?!" Ash, who had been holding his cheek from Serena's slap didn't answer. He looked down at the ground, but didn't say a word. Serena couldn't wait for an answer so she continued, "You've been acting strange ever since yesterday morning." Serena had calmed down a bit, and started using a softer voice, "If something is wrong Ash, you can tell me..."

The two stood there in silence, Pikachu had escorted Greninja and Charizard to the other side of the arena to give the two trainers their space. After a pause Ash spoke, "It isn't that simple Serena." He said almost whispering. Serena noticed Ash's hesitation, then a very painful thought crept into her mind, one that almost broke her.

"I-Is it...me?" She said, almost losing her voice.

That made Ash snap his head up. Serena was looking down, hugging herself on the verge of tears. "What?! No...no Serena, it's not you." He said, but Serena wasn't moving. "I just needed some time alone that's all. I would never be mad at you Serena." Serena wiped her eyes, but stayed in her position. Ash didn't know what to do, he couldn't understand Serena's reaction to all this. As he was about to say something else, Serena spoke. "I guess I need some time alone too."

Before Ash could react, Serena turned around and ran off leaving Ash stunned. She ran for a minute through the main street of Luminose until disappearing into a side alley. There she slumped down against a wall and finally succumbed to her tears. Ash had said that she wasn't the reason, but she was overwhelmed by her emotions that they convinced her that she was in fact the problem.

 _ **It was me...but why? What did I do? Was us getting close this past week too much for him? Maybe us getting closer made him realized he likes another girl from his past adventures. Oh no, maybe he called one of them last night...he probably called her and...confessed his feelings, and...**_

She stayed there for almost an hour, plummeting further down into despair, until a familiar voice came around.

"Serena? Is that you?" Serena looked up, her face drenched in her own tears. It was Professor Sycamore. "Oh Serena, what's wrong?" Sycamore said as he knelt down beside Serena. She put her face down into her arms again, hiding her face. "Nothing Professor, just..." She couldn't tell him the truth.

"Just sad that I lost yesterday." She lied.

"Hmm, yes. I saw the whole contest Serena. You did so well, and any close defeat like that is hard to manage. But think about it. That was your first Master Finals, and you came within an inch of becoming Kalos Queen. If you continue like you did this past year, there's no doubt in my mind you'll win next time." Serena nodded her head, none of this was helping her in her actual crisis, but knew the Professor was only trying to help. "Besides, you have Ash and Clemont, and Bonnie to support you on your journey." Sycamore concluded.

Serena's heart sank. It was because of Ash, and Clemont and Bonnie but mostly Ash, that she got to where she was, but now...? She may accompany him to the Pokemon League, cheer him on during his battles and hope he wins, but it wouldn't be the same anymore. While she had hoped that Ash and her could travel together afterwards, it now looked like it wasn't going to be a possibility anymore.

Sycamore spoke up, "Which reminds me, have you seen Ash? I'm needed in Anistar city tomorrow, but I have something for him." Serena knew where Ash was, but didn't want to give Sycamore any hints that she was crying because of Ash. "I don't know, he said that he wanted to train with his Pokemon alone today. He said he would return at around dinner time." She said as she wiped her tears.

Professor Sycamore thought of his options, then reached for something in his bag. "Here Serena, would you give these to Ash?" Serena looked over to his outstretched hand. In his palm were two stones. One was small and white, while the other was a bright orange and almost twice as large as the other. "I had planned on giving these to Ash personally, but I couldn't find him at the Pokemon Center where we decided to meet, and my plane leaves in an hour."

 _ **He's not at the Pokemon Center anymore?**_

Serena looked up at the Professor, "When did you talk to Ash about this?" She asked. "Oh, actually he called last night." Sycamore replied. This made Serena's heart jump up.

 _ **He wasn't calling one of his past girlfriends...or friends that so happened to be girls...**_

"As you know, he's going to compete in the Pokemon League, but he only had 5 Pokemon with him. So he asked me how many Pokemon I knew about that could mega evolve. He seemed particularly interested in Charizard, Sceptile, and Heracross and their mega evolutions. He then asked me if I had any of their mega stones that he could borrow for the Pokemon League."

"Borrow them? Serena asked. Sycamore nodded, "Yes, Ash and I made a deal. I would lend him a mega stone and in return I would analyze the data from his usage of it at the Pokemon League. And it turned out, that a good friend of mine had found a special version of Charizardite that hasn't been seen before just two weeks ago." Serena looked at the orange stone still in his hand.

"You see, I have extensive research on Charizardite mega stones from one of my pupils, but this one is different. It radiates a different kind of energy." Sycamore explained. "I would normally reach out to my pupil for this, but I haven't been able to contact him in over a month. There's no way that I would pass on this opprotunity. Now please, Serena would you give these to Ash?"

Serena nodded her head and took the stones and put it in her own bag. "Yes Professor, I'll make sure Ash gets them." Professor Sycamore sighed in relief, "He's lucky to have such a good friend like you...Oh my look at the time, I got to leave now or I'll miss my flight, thank you Serena! He said as he got up and ran. Serena look down at the ground...

 _ **He was just calling Sycamore about getting his 6th pokemon, that was all. But why did he want to be left alone? Why all the secrecy? And why was he not at the Pokemon Center to meet the Professor? Maybe he's...looking for me? Oh my, I got to get back to the hotel.**_

Serena got up, wiped her tears and dusted her skirt. When she was all cleaned up she made her way to the hotel. After a couple of minutes she stood outside her hotel room. Wondering if Clemont and Bonnie were still asleep, or if they knew about what happened. She took a deep breath then opened the door.

Nobody was there. All their stuff was there but they were gone. Serena thought to herself that maybe the two siblings went out for breakfast. As she stepped inside she saw a note at the foot of her bed. She went over to it, and saw Clemont's handwritting.

 **Ash came by to see if you were here. We went out looking for you, but if you get this letter before we find you, We'll be back at ten.**

Serena looked at the clock on the wall and saw that it was only 9 o'clock. With that, she sat on her bed but was shortly consumed by a thousand different thoughts plaguing her mind. She turned on the T.V to distract her from the day's events. As she lost herself in the news and her own thoughts, she didn't realize it was ten o'clock until the door opened...


	9. Chapter 9: Truth and Reconciliation

**Chapter 9: Truth and Reconciliation**

Ash opened the door to their hotel room and found Clemont and Bonnie still sleeping. Along with Clemont and Bonnie they had searched up and down Luminose City for two hours looking for Serena. With no sign of her, they had hoped she was back at the hotel waiting for them. When Serena had left Ash at the Pokemon Center practice arena, he was in shock. He didn't know what to do. After she had left him it took Ash a minute to gather himself and go after her, but by that time she was no where to be seen. He looked at the time and noticed that Professor Sycamore was going to meet him here in 15 minutes.

It didn't even take a second to decide what to do. He left the Pokemon Center looking for Serena. His first stop was the hotel, but after waking Clemont and Bonnie and telling them that Serena just ran off on him, they quickly got dressed and helped Ash in finding their friend. Before they left, Clemont thought of an idea, and left a note for Serena in case she came back to the room. Outside the hotel Ash ran off to the left, with Clemont and Bonnie going right. Luminose City's main street was circular so they planned to meet on the other side, then double back together through the center of the city. But alas, after two hours of searching, there was no signs of Serena. Ash hoped that Serena was in their hotel room, as he used his key to open the door.

As he opened it he noticed Serena on the bed. She was sitting down at the foot of the bed with her knees up to her chest and her arms wrapped around her legs. She looked at the door, but upon seeing Ash she quickly looked back toward the T.V.

"Serena!" Bonnie yelled, going under Ash's legs to get in the room. Clemont stepped in the room, scooting past Ash. "Oh thank goodness, you're alright Serena" The blonde hair boy exclaimed, still out of breath from running around the city. Ash just stood there in the doorway...

 _ **That look she gave me...what was that? It was the same sadness from before at the Pokemon Center, but there's something else there.**_

Bonnie had jumped on the bed and was infront of Serena, trying to meet her eyes. "Serena? You're scaring me. What's the matter?" She said with a worried expression. But Serena wasn't answering. Every time Bonnie moved in front of Serena's eyes, she moved her head, avoiding the little girls gaze. Clemont looked back at Ash. Though he didn't talk, Ash understood Clemont was asking him what had happened.

Ash looked down at the floor, "Clemont, Bonnie...could you give Serena and I a minute please?" Bonnie snapped her head to look at Ash, "What? Why?! We spent two hours looking for her!" she said, "Whatever is going on she can tell us, right big brother?" She asked as she turned toward Clemont.  
Clemont looked back at Serena and then back at Ash. He gave Ash a nod, "Bonnie, we haven't eaten breakfast yet. Lets go down to the reception area, they might still have some food." He said. Bonnie shook her head furiously, "No! Just because I'm little doesn't mean you can treat me like a child!" She turned toward Serena, "Please, Serena. You can tell us right?"

Serena lifted her head and looked at Bonnie, "Sorry Bonnie, but could you go with your brother please?" She said in a whisper. Finally accepting defeat, she went to the door and Clemont escorted her out leaving Ash and Serena alone in the room.

It took every ounce of strength in him, but after a minute of them staying still and silent, Ash walked up to Serena. He stopped in front of Serena making her look down avoiding his eyes. Ash knelt down so he could meet her eyes. They locked sight of each other, gazing into each others eyes for what felt like an eternity.

"I'm sorry" They both said in unison, making both of them give out a half-hearted laugh.

Ash was about to speak again, but Serena took one of her arms and put a finger on his lips. She got down from the bed, and sat down next to Ash with her back supported by the bed. Ash turned around and put his back to the bed as well so they were sitting side by side. Ash was looking at Serena, but she had her head down.

"I'm sorry Ash." She said again. Ash shook his head, "Why? You have nothing to be sorry for Serena." He said, trying to comfort her. She continued, "No, I do...for not trusting you." Ash tilted his head unsure at what she meant.

"When you left alone last night, and the fact you told Clemont to tell me not to go...well I thought the worst Ash." She said. "What do you mean?" She looked up at Ash, meeting his eyes. "Well since my journey to become Kalos Queen is over until next year, you were now getting focused on your journey, your dream, on beating the Kalos League and becoming a Pokemon Master." Ash nodded his head, "Ok...I don't know how that is bad though?"

Serena looked back down, ashamed at what she was about to say, "Well before every gym battle you had looked to me, Clemont, and even Bonnie for support. But the Kalos League is something different. I...I thought you were calling one of your friends for support. One of your past girl companions." Ash's mouth was open, was this the reason for her weird behavior?

"Serena, I didn't do that, I went..." He started, but then Serena slumped over and rested her head on his shoulder, stopping him mid-sentence. "It's ok Ash, I know. I talked with Professor Sycamore today after I...after I ran away from you. He told me everything."

Ash was relieved that Serena knew about Sycamore. But how could he tell her the whole truth. Sure he went and talked with Professor Sycamore, but the main reason why he wanted to be alone was his guilt. Ash still hadn't forgiven himself for how he felt when Serena lost. He had felt happy, instead of sad for Serena's loss. He thought to himself that they would still be able to travel together. Was that so bad?

Ash almost bolted up. He had forgotten about Professor Sycamore, but knew that by now he was on his way to Anistar city. There was nothing he could do now. Serena looked up at Ash, worried that she went too far. But Ash shook his head saying it was fine so Serena put her head back on Ash's shoulder.  
Ash put his head on Serena's head, resting his cheek in her honey colored hair. "Well it's my turn to say sorry." Serena didn't move, "For what Ash?" She asked.

"I should have given you the courtesy of knowing what I was doing. You see, before every League I go out alone with my pokemon, and we all just...think. About the past, and the future. I had planned on staying out late, and you were tired from the day, so I told Clemont to make sure I had my privacy." He said, "You see, this is going to be my 6th official Pokemon League tournament. If I don't make it to at least the finals...I don't know." He started trailing off.

Serena nudged herself closer to Ash, "You won't lose." She said. Three simple words, and that was all it took for Ash to regain his confidence. Serena had a way of making him look past all the doubt, reminding him at how far he's gone, and how much further he can go.  
"Thank you Serena...thank you so much." They sat there for a couple of minutes. Serena resting on Ash's shoulder, happy that they had regained their lost ground. Ash resting on Serena's head, burying himself in her short honey hair, happy that Serena was back.

"I forgive you Ash" Serena said breaking the silence. Ash raised he head, and looked down at Serena. "For what?" He asked.

"Don't move, please." She whispered, so Ash put his head back down on hers. "You said you were sorry and I forgive you." She finished. Ash smiled, his face burning from his relief and happiness. "I forgive you Serena." He said.

They sat there for another ten minutes. Enjoying each others company, something they had missed in the last couple of days. Their small measure of peace was broken by a knock at the door. They could hear Bonnie through the door. "Have you two made up yet?"

Serena pulled away from Ash a little bit, making Ash look back at Serena. They were inches away from each other. With another knock, they both giggled. Ash got up and went for the door, Serena grasping for him to stay a little bit longer. When he opened the door, Bonnie and Clemont came inside. Bonnie rushed over to Serena, and embraced her. Serena returned the hug, "I'm sorry for scaring you Bonnie. Everything is ok now." Bonnie gave Serena a tighter hug, happy that Serena was back to normal.

Clemont put a hand on Ash's shoulder. "So is everything alright?" He asked quietly so only Ash could hear. "Yes...everything is back to normal."

Little did Clemont, Bonnie, or even Serena knew that everything wasn't fine for Ash. There was still one small thing gnawing at the back of his head.

 _ **Would she be feeling the same way if she had won yesterday? Serena was ready to become Kalos Queen, to take on the duties and responsibilities that were needed from her. She was ready to leave us all, to leave me to win. Is she trying to come back because she lost.**_

 _ **And what about me? How can I tell Serena that I was glad, even for a second, that she didn't accomplish her dream?**_

As he was thinking about that, another thought popped into his mind.

"Hey Serena, did Professor Sycamore give you anything when he ran into you?"

 **Author's note: So Ash and Serena have made up, but each of them is holding a secret. Serena still hasn't told Ash what Aria said to her, but she forgot in the spur of the moment. Ash, however is guilt striken about his new emotions. Will they be able to tell each other the whole truth before their secrets tears them apart?**


	10. The Bond between Pokemon and Trainers

**Chapter 10: The Bond between Pokemon and Trainers, Part 1**

Serena had given Ash his keystone, and the special Charizardite stone. The next day early in the morning, they walked an hour outside of the city to test out the megastone. To test out the strength of this mega evolution Ash and his Charizard would face off against Serena's Sylveon and Clemont's Luxray at the same time. Once they found a good open area, they got set. Ash prepped his Charizard by giving him a makeshift collar to hold his megastone. Serena had made it that morning. Later they would get a better, more durable harness like the one Alain had on his Charizard

"Alright, you ready pal?" Ash asked his Charizard. It replied with a roar, ready to test the limits of this power it will soon recieve. Serena and Clemont were ready on the other side of the arena. "Remember Charizard, this new power...I've seen firsthand that it can be overwhelming at first. Promise me you won't try to hurt anyone. It's a friendly match between us three." Ash asked his partner. Charizard nodded his head with a serious glare. If any pokemon could handle the power of mega evolution it was Charizard. Ash got ready and walked back to his position.

"Alright, everyone ready?" Serena and Clemont gave thumbs up while Sylveon and Luxray gave out their own roars. Bonnie, sat on the edge of the battlefield with the other pokemon. Upon Ash and Clemont's request, Bonnie made sure she and the other pokemon were well clear. Pikachu decided to stay by Ash's side as he always has during battles.

"Alright, Charizard, respond to my heart...MEGA EVOLVE!" He shouted as he grabbed onto his keystone in his pocket. A light shined from it, and soon Charizard's megastone reacted and started burning bright. Tendrils of light came from Ash's keystone. The same was happening to Charizard's megastone. The tendrils started to move toward each other.

 _ **This is it buddy...**_

But then the tendrils stopped short of each other. They were still 10 yards away at aleast. Ash didn't understand. Soon the tendrils retreated back, and both stones dimmed back to normal. "What happened?" Ash shouted across the battlefield. Clemont shouted back, "Maybe we need to battle a little bit, like what happened between you and Alain. He didn't mega evolve his Charizard until the battle had already gone for a bit."

Ash gave him the thumbs up. "Ok Charizard, looks like we need a little warm up first. Start off with a flamethrower at Luxray!" Charizard flew up and breathed a large torrent of flame toward Luxray. Clemont commanded his pokemon dodge and then use Swift. Charizard used another Flamethrower and destroyed the tracking stars from hitting it. Sylveon joined the battle and used Fairy Wind on Charizard. "Quick Charizard, push through it with Steel Wing!" Ash said, and Charizard's wings glowed white as he pushed through the Fairy type move.

As he got closer, Serena told Sylveon to use Moonblast, Ash responded by telling his Charizard to use Fireblast. The two moves collided, with Fireblast winning the encounter, but Sylveon was able to dodge using it's unique dancing style it had known since it was an Eevee. After that, Charizard returned to Ash's side of the field. "Alright Ash, now try it!" Clemont said.

Ash once again reached into his pocket. "Now Charizard, let's break through...MEGA EVOLVE!" He shouted as he grabbed the keystone again. The same glow happened, but grew larger. The tendrils of light started to come from both of the stones. They were now closer before, but right when they were about to touch, they retreated again.

Ash was puzzled, while Charizard was getting annoyed. "What are we doing wrong? Is one of the stones broken?" He asked himself. Serena and Clemont came over to his side of the arena. "That was so close Ash, but I think we're doing something wrong." Serena said as she walked up to Ash. Clemont put his hand on his chin, thinking about what could be the problem.

"Hmm...It's obviously not because Charizard is too weak, or you Ash. We've seen you and Greninja fight together in Greninja's new form." Clemont started, "Wait...that might be it." Ash and Serena looked at Clemont, "What is?" Ash asked. Clemont looked up at Ash, "How long has it been since you battled with Charizard? I mean, when was the last time you had Charizard before you got him yesterday?" Clemont asked.

"Oh wow...it must have been...what? It must have been a year since we were reunited in Unova." Ash said looking at his Charizard. Clemont nodded his head, "Reunited? So how long was it that you two were seperated before Unova?" Ash thought about it, then he knew what Clemont was getting at. "It was almost two years since then. Last I used him then was a battle against Articuno." Ash said. Clemont fell off his feet, "What?! Your Charizard fought the Legendary Pokemon Articuno?" He said from the ground. Charizard smirked, and then roared, remembering that epic battle with the Legendary Ice pokemon. "Not only that Clemont, Charizard won." Ash said, mirroring his pokemon's smirk.

"Well as impressive as that may be," Clemont said as he picked himself up. "I believe the problem is that you and Charizard aren't connected like you used to. You see, if you had the megastone when you fought Articuno he may have mega evolved, but since you two have been so far apart for almost three years with only a quick reunion inbetween..." Clemont explained, but Ash interupted, "You think Charizard and I aren't bonded enough?" He said, with a slight tone to it.

Clemont put his hands up to signal he meant no offense. "Maybe in the past, and you two may still share a great bond due to your past experiences, but Mega Evolution is something that goes beyond just simple friendship Ash. Look at Diantha and her Gardevoir, or even Korrina and her Lucario, I'm willling to bet that they've been together ever since they first became partners." He explained.

Ash understood, he looked over at Charizard who met his gaze. "You and I have been seperated from quite some time now haven't we." Charizard nodded his head, his snout puffing out a small flame. "I guess we'll just have to train together and get stronger together again." Ash said, Charizard spread its wings and roared. It was happy to train together with its old friend and partner. "But you only have one week until the Pokemon League." Serena said, unsure if Ash and Charizard could mega Evolve in time.

Ash nodded, knowing that they had very little time to harness the new power of mega evolution. "There's something else" Ash had said. Clemont looked at Ash, wondering what he meant.

"Hey Greninja, Hawlucha, Noivern, Talonflame, come over here." Ash said to his pokemon that were next to Bonnie about to eat their lunch. They all lined up next to Charizard awaiting Ash who had put his hand on his chin, thinking. "What's up Ash?" Clemont asked. "Clemont, you notice anything wrong with my current team?" Ash responded.

At first Clemont and Serena were astonished that Ash would think there was something wrong with his team. They were all very powerful, and other than Pikachu and Hawlucha, were fully evolved Pokemon. "What do you mean Ash?" Clemont said. Ash shook his head. "Just look at them. What do you see?" Ash said while still in thought.

Clemont examined Ash's Pokemon. There was Pikachu, Ash's most faithful and trusted Pokemon. Ash would never think that something was wrong with Pikachu. Then there was Greninja, probably the most determined and powerful Pokemon Clemont has ever seen. Even as a Froakie, it would never back down, and now with its new and mysterious form Ash wouldn't think there was anything wrong with it.

Clemont looked over at the other four Pokemon, then it hit him. He looked back at Greninja and Pikachu. There was one very significant weakness to Ash's team. "4 Flying types, a Water type, and an Electric type. Ash your team has no counter to a powerful electric Pokemon." Clemont at last said. Ash nodded his head, "At the Pokemon League, there will be the best trainers and if I have to face against one with a powerful electric pokemon, it's going to rough." Serena was relieved, she knew that Ash didn't think ill of his own Pokemon. "So what are you going to do?" She asked.

"Well as I was thinking about what Pokemon I needed to be my 6th the other day, I was also thinking about what other Pokemon I could use." Ash said. "But you can only have 6 Pokemon at a time." Serena said. "Yeah, but in between rounds I can switch my team up." Ash told Serena, "Back at Professor Oak's Lab, I could get my Sceptile though it's only resistant to Eletric, not effective against it. There's also my Donphan, it could prove very helpful." Ash said, "Ugh...I have so many good options, my Snorlax or my Torterra would be great as well. I might have to think more about this."

Serena almost flinched at the last sentence, but Ash noticed. "Hmm? What's wrong Serena?" He asked. Serena looked down with a slight pink blush, "Oh nothing...but would you mind if we helped you decide this time?" She asked. Ash was about to say that he needed to do it alone, but remembering how Serena had responded last time and that she only wanted to help made him reconsider.

"Yeah, I would like that." He answered, Serena gave a sigh of relief followed quickly by a small cheer. "Yeah!" Serena exclaimed.

They went back to Luminose after lunch, and stayed over at the Pokemon Center to heal their pokemon. As they waited Ash along with Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie, called Professor Oak. Ash told him of his possible replacements and asked the Professor about his opinions on Sceptile, Donphan, Snorlax, and Torterra. "Hmm, I see. Well I know Sceptile is a good choice. He is one of your strongest pokemon. I'm sorry but, Donphan hasn't seen a battle in years. He wouldn't be ready in time for the Pokemon League." He exclaimed, Ash nodded.

"What about my Torterra?" He asked the Professor. "Ah yes, though not as powerful as Sceptile or as strong as Snorlax, he would be very effective against any possible Electric types being a Grass and Ground Pokemon." He told Ash.

Ash couldn't decide which one he would choose, so he turned to his friends. "What do you guys think?" Clemont responded first, "A Torterra would round out your team very well on types." Serena was second, "I remember Sycamore telling me you were thinking about bringing Sceptile in the first place, why not now?" Bonnie responded last, "But a Snorlax would be so much fun. And from what you told us about your Snorlax, it sounds really really strong!" She said.

Ash sighed and lowered his head. His friends all brought up really good points but left him at a worse spot on deciding what Pokemon to use. "I wish I had more time for this..." Ash said. Professor Oak picked up a small brochure, "Well from what the Kalos League tournament goes, the first four rounds are three on three battles, but the kicker is that you can't use a pokemon for more than two rounds. You'll have to switch out your team inbetween rounds. So if you haven't decided by then, you could use them in those starting rounds." Ash smiled at that. "Ok Professor thanks!"

Over the course of the next couple of days, Ash traded in his Pokemon and trained with his Sceptile, Snorlax, and Torterra. They also moved to stay at the Pokemon Center as their stay at the hotel was over. Ash kept his Charizard the whole time, and at the end of each day would try to mega evolve. Each day ended in the same results, unsuccessful.

On the last day before they would have to leave Luminose and head toward Victory Road, Ash was visibly frustrated. Sure his training had made his Pokemon as ready as they can be for the tournament, but he couldn't push through the mega evolution barrier with his Charizard. He told Sycamore of his predicament, but the Professor swore that the megastone was Charizardite and nothing was wrong with its energy output.

Clemont was out of ideas, they had even pushed Charizard through a series of extrenous exercises, made him battle all of Ash's Pokemon in a row, but even after that Charizard just couldn't mega evolve.

Serena; however, had noticed a certain air around Ash. While he was actively training he was focused but any time he wasn't battling he seemed...distance, distracted. She remembered how he said he was nervous, being his 6th time in a Pokemon League tournament, he needed to win. But she felt there was something else occupying his thoughts. She had caught him looking at her during breaks as he was talking with his Pokemon. Every time he had adverted his gaze.

 _ **I should talk with him tonight.**_


	11. Chapter 11: The Night before

**Chapter 11: The Night before...**

As they got ready for their last night in Luminose, Serena made her move. "Hey Ash, I'm going for a walk. Would you like to join me?" She asked as casually as possible. Ash didn't seem to mind, "Yeah sure." He said. Bonnie jumped out of the bathroom, "Oh! Can I go too!" She asked. "No Bonnie, you still need to pack up. We've got an early morning tomorrow." Clemont said. Serena had told Clemont her plan to find out what was wrong with Ash, so Clemont played along. Bonnie was noticeably frustrated, but obeyed her brother's wishes. They were going to leave at sunrise, and walk the whole day to Victory Road.

Ash looked for Pikachu as he was about to leave, but Pikachu was already on one of the pillows on his bed. Pikachu had a hard day training so Ash left him be and he left alone with Serena.

They exited the Pokemon Center and walked along Luminose streets as they were lit up in a yellow glow by dozens of street lamps. They walked for a bit without saying a word until Ash broke the silence. "Where we going Serena?" He asked.

"Oh somewhere I thought was really beautiful to see at night." She replied. Ash was wondering why she had asked him for this walk. While he was dense, he at least knew she wanted to talk about something. He guessed it was alright, they hadn't really had time to talk this past week since they got over their misunderstanding and they would talk when they reached their destination.

Serena turned a corner, and started walking down a side street, with Ash following next to her. Ash had been around the city many times, but he had no idea where they were now. "Almost there" Serena said as they came to another corner. When they turned, Ash could see a small grassy courtyard with a fountain in the middle. Serena grabbed Ash's hand and led him to the other side of the courtyard. She led him to a bench and sat down. "Quite a view isn't it?" She asked.

Ash didn't know what she was talking about, sure the courtyard was beautiful and simple but was that it? Serena pulled Ash's arm, making him sit next to her on the bench. It was then he saw the view she was talking about. Behind him when he was standing up was Prism Tower, lit up in all it's glory against the night sky. Ash let out an audible "Wow" as he looked on.

They sat there for some time, admiring the view. The only sound was the fountain behind them, and the occasionly distance chatter from people on the main street. Ash took a deep breath, "Ah...thank you Serena. This was a good place to clear my mind after this week of training." And then Serena did something that made his heart skip a beat. She had scooted closer and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Uh...Serena?" He asked, his voice almost trembling. "What's wrong Ash?" She asked. "Nothing, you just took me by surpise that's all." He said, trying to keep calm.

Serena giggled, "No, not that Ash. I mean about this last week. I've been watching you and something is troubling you." Ash shook his head, trying to deny it. "It's just me trying to think up any other strategy I could use at the Pokemon League." He said, but Serena shook her head.

"Ash Ketchum...I know you. You've always helped other people, even complete strangers. You have been willing to sacrifice yourself to save Pokemon, to the point of recklessness. You've never backed down from a challenge, not just that, you've always gone after those challenges with a smile and determined eyes." Serena said, Ash started to blush from the complements.

"But most of all...You've helped me become who I am today. You helped me, a clumsy little town girl, turn into a Pokemon trainer. You helped me realize my dream of being a Pokemon Performer. You've saved me around a dozen or more times. Protected me from harm..." Serena trailed off. Ash didn't say anything so Serena took a deep breath.

"What I'm trying to say is...You've always been there for me, and...I can tell something is on your mind, and so...I don't know. How can I help?" She finished.

Ash was taken aback from Serena's concern. He didn't know what to say. His face was red, but little did he know that Serena's face was more red than his.

 _ **He isn't saying anything...Short of confessing my true feelings for him I've laid everything out for him. Did I go too far?**_

Thankfully Ash responded before Serena could get any more anxious. He put his head on her's just like they did in the hotel room. "You're already doing it" He said softly.

It was Serena's turn to be surpised at Ash's answer.

 _ **I am? Just being here with him...? Maybe his distraction was that he wasn't spending enough time with me. Does he really like me like that? Should I...tell him the truth? My true feelings for him? Will that be too far? No...this is the best time as any. I'm going to tell him, right here right now!**_

"There you are Serena!" Both Ash and Serena jumped up from the sudden voice coming from behind them. They both looked at the person running over to them from across the courtyard. "Aria?!" They both said in astonishment.

Sure enough, Aria walked up and gave both of them a hug. "I'm glad I finally caught you!" She said to Serena. Serena just looked at Aria with a confused look, "What do you mean? How did you find us?"

Aria laughed, "Oh, I knocked on your door at the Pokemon Center, and your friend Clemont told me" Ash this time looked at Aria with a confused look, "How did Clemont know where we would be?" He asked, though his question was more directed toward Serena. Serena had told Clemont her plan, but didn't want Ash to know, but now with the Meowth out of the bag, she confessed. "You see Ash, I told Clemont of what I saw with you, and told him that I wanted to talk with you alone. He told me about this great relaxing place" She said.

Aria giggled, making both Ash and Serena look back at her, "What?" They said in unison. "Oh nothing, but uh, Ash? I hope I wasn't interupting anything, but could I talk with Serena?"

 _ **Are you kidding me Aria?! I was so close to confessing my feelings to Ash!**_

"Uh, ok. What's so important?" Ash asked. Aria looked down, a bit ashamed. "You see, I have to leave tonight for the Sinnoh region for a tour. And I know that you two will be leaving tomorrow to the Pokemon League. It'll be some time until we would see each other again." She said. Serena instantly forgave Aria for her intrusion. "It's ok Ash, it'll just be a minute." Serena said.

The two girls walked over to the other side of the courtyard out of earshot of Ash who was still watching them.

 _ **Serena is so kind. She gives me too much credit. She's been looking after me, after all of us during our journey. While I may have saved her once or twice, she has done the same for me. But what she said...Is there any doubt that she likes me more than just a friend?**_

 _ **Remember...Serena was willing to go all the way to become Kalos Queen. To leave you all behind.**_

Ash didn't know where that thought came from. He shook it away, but it still lingered in the back of his mind.

"You didn't think I was going to let you get away without answering my question were you? Aria asked Serena as they reached the other side of the courtyard. "Huh? What ques...!" Serena started to say but instantly turned red as she remembered.

 _ **Do I love him?**_

Aria giggled, "Well? Do you? From what I saw, it seems you two are really good friends" She said with a wink. Serena tried to say something in her defense, but she was too flustered. She stuttered, trying to say something but then eventually gave up and sighed. "Ok Aria, you win. I do..."

As she said it, it felt like a great burden was lifted from her. Though Bonnie, Miette, and probably even Clemont knew, it was something else to actually confess it to someone. "I knew it!" Aria shouted. Ash had turned toward them from Aria's sudden outburst.

"Oops, sorry." Aria said with a laugh.

"Aria!" Serena said with a whispered shout. Aria once again apologized with a giggle.

"Is that all you wanted to know, Aria?" Serena asked once they both had calmed down. "Well not completely," Aria said. "After Ash takes on the Pokemon League, what are you going to do? Are you going to continue to perform here in Kalos?" Aria asked.

Serena looked down, unsure of her answer. In truth, Serena didn't want to think about what would happen when their journey in Kalos would come to an end. "I don't know..."

Aria put a hand on Serena's shoulder, making Serena look up. "Well if you really do love him. Then your answer will be simple. If you ever need help in deciding, just follow your heart." Serena hugged Aria. "Thank you Aria, you're a good friend." She said as they pulled away.

Aria's phone rang, and she answered it. "Oh hello, what? I just went out for a walk. Yes I'll be there in time." Aria said. As she hung up, she called over Ash.

Ash walked up and Aria gave him another hug. "I have to go now. The plane won't wait, not even for a Kalos Queen." She said, as she gave Serena a hug. "You take care of Serena, alright Ash" She said as she winked at Serena. Ash laughed, while scratching the back of his head. "Aria!" Serena said as Aria started to run off. "Bye..." Serena said to herself.

"It's getting late Serena, we should head back if we want a good night sleep." Ash said after a minute. Serena didn't want to. She hadn't told Ash what she wanted, but knew that her chance had passed, so she agreed. They walked the rest of the way in silence, but Serena could of swore that Ash was now walking closer to her than when they left the Pokemon Center.

As they quietly opened their door to their room. Clemont and Bonnie were already asleep in their beds. Ash and Serena shared a silent giggle, then went to their own beds. "Goodnight Ash" Serena whispered across the room as they both got into bed.

"Goodnight Serena"

 **Narrator note: So close, yet so far. But now Ash and company must travel to Victory Road for the opening ceremony. With the Pokemon League so close, will Serena have another chance to confess her feelings? Ash is concentrated on winning the Kalos League, but there is something that continues to distract him. He now goes to Victory Road to meet someone who could help him.**


	12. The Bond between Pkmn and Trainers, pt2

**Chapter 12: The Bond between Pokemon and Trainers, Part 2**

"AH! EVERYONE GET UP!"

Ash was awoken at the sudden yelling in their room. He jolted up, falling out of bed. Pikachu followed him and landed on his head still dazed.

"We're late. It's already 8!" It was Clemont yelling.

 _ **8? That can't be, I set my alarm for 5am...**_

Ash looked up and saw the sun filtering through the window. He looked over at his alarm clock next to his bed, it read 8:12 on it.

"Clemont, why are you yelling?" Serena said, she was sitting up on her bed, rubbing her eyes. Bonnie was next to her bed, also on the ground.

"We were supposed to leave at 6, to be able to make it to the opening of Victory Road on time. Now we'll be late!" He said as he continued to get his stuff ready. Ash stood up, now wide awake started to get his jacket and jeans on.

"Clemont, we'll miss the opening ceremony but we'll still make it." He said. Victory Road would be open until 24 hours before the registration was over. And while they would be able to make it to Victory Road by the end of the day, it would still be open for the next 5 days.

"True, but did you forget that Professor Sycamore will be there to attend the ceremony. He was going to examine your megastone and try to figure out what's wrong." Clemont said as he put on his bag. "You don't want him to wait on us too long, do you?"

"Oh yeah. We can just call ahead and tell him we're going to be a bit late." Ash said, as he started to put on his shoes. Pikachu was next to him, stretching out his legs. Serena got out of bed, and walked into the bathroom.

After another 10 minutes, the four turned in their key to Nurse Joy, called Sycamore that they were going to be late and were on their way to Victory Road.

At their quickened pace they made up some time, but they were still about an hour out when the ceremony started and Victory Road was opened. Upon Bonnie's request they took a quick break before the last part of their journey. The sun was nearing the horizon. It was going to dark in about 3 hours. After their quick break to rest their feet, they continued on.

Upon reaching the entrance of Victory Road, they saw Professor Sycamore with his two assistants near a van. "Oh there you are. Hello Ash!" Sycamore said waving at the 4 friends. They waved back, and ran up to meet the professor.

"Ah, it's good to see you all again. Oh, and how is Pancham doing Serena? Is the medical ball working?" Sycamore asked. Serena took out the medical ball and released Pancham. The small panda pokemon appeared, and it still had a cast on its arm. "Pancham is doing really well Professor. Nurse Joy said it should be another two weeks before they remove the cast. Thank you Professor" She said. Pancham seemed relieved. The cast was getting very frustrating, especially when it came to eating his favorite Pokepuffs.

"That's great, I'm so glad I was able to help with that." Sycamore said. "And what about you, Serena?"

Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie all looked at Serena with questioning looks. She had told them that she had ran into Sycamore but nothing more.

"I'm fine Professor, thank you." Serena replied with a smile. Professor Sycamore nodded and turned to Ash.

"Now Ash, I'm sure you want to get down to business about your problem with the Mega stone." He asked as he turned toward Ash. Ash pulled out his keystone and the Charizardite from his pocket and gave them to Sycamore.

"Yes, you see…Whenever we try to mega evolve, both stones respond and it would appear to work. But at the last second, before the light from our stones meet, something goes wrong and they go back to normal." Ash said, he also explained how they tried out different methods to try and mega evolve Charizard but they all ended in failure. Professor Sycamore was listening intently, occasionally asking Ash to be more specific on certain subjects. At the end, he pointed everyone to his van.

Inside were several high tech computers. It was a mini lab inside the van. Sycamore climbed in and placed the two stones into a small box, and used a computer next to it to analyze the data from the stones. After a minute, he opened the box and gave the stones back to Ash.

"I don't know what to say Ash. While we still know very little about mega evolution, all the data we have now says that this is a Charizardite and that it, and your keystone still work." He said. Ash put the stones in his pocket. He didn't know what to do.

Serena stepped forward, "Maybe Ash could show you in person what happens. Will that help Professor?" She asked Sycamore. He looked at Ash, "I guess it wouldn't hurt. If you want to, we can get some equipment set up to analyze the energy while it happens." Ash didn't think it would help, but if Sycamore thought it would he would go along with it.

Professor Sycamore and his two assistants took out their equipment, and placed them in a circle around Ash and his Charizard as he fastened the mega stone harness to his pokemon. "Just hold on Charizard, this is Professor Sycamore, if he can find out what's wrong, then just maybe we can mega evolve." He said to his Charizard as he finished with the harness.

"Ok, Professor. We're ready" He told Sycamore.

"Ok, just give me a quick second, and…alright. We're set. You can begin Ash." He said as he positioned himself behind a sophisticated camera. Ash didn't know a whole lot about science, but he guessed that the camera wasn't just for recording video like an ordinary camera.

Ash stepped away from Charizard, and got ready. "Alright Charizard, it's now or never…MEGA EVOLVE!" He shouted as he touched his keystone. The two stones lit up, and the tendrils of light began to spread out towards each other. When they were about ten feet away they stopped, and after a couple of seconds shrank back into the two stones, reverting them back to normal.

Professor Sycamore called his two assistants and they went over the data that was collected from their equipment. Ash sat down on a rock away from them, frustrated that once again, he had failed. Serena sat next to him, and tried to comfort him.

"Ash, it's going to be ok. Professor Sycamore is going to find out what you and Charizard are doing wrong." She said. Ash didn't look at Serena, "So you think there's something wrong with us?" He asked, not moving. Serena then realized what she had said; she didn't mean to hurt Ash. "Nothing is wrong with you Ash and not you Charizard" She said as she looked up at Charizard lying down next to them. "Stuff like this takes time. Were you a great trainer, ready to take on the Pokemon League when you started out, right?" She asked.

"Of course not" Ash said quietly.

Serena continued "Well you're just starting out a new part of your journey. A journey that only a handful of people have just started doing. This is new experience for you and Charizard. You can't be the very best unless you take the time needed. And if I know you, you won't let that keep you down. Remember…Don't give up until it's over!" Serena said.

They sat there for a couple of seconds. Serena didn't know if Ash had taken her advice, until he turned toward her. "Thank you Serena." What happened next, made Serena's heart skip a beat. Ash had put his hand on hers. Not believing her sense of touch, she looked down to verify with her eyes. Ash's hand was indeed on her hand. In her mind, Serena was screaming.

 _ **Ok…Ok, stay calm, gotta stay calm.**_

 _ **HE'S HOLDING MY HAND!**_

 _ **Stay calm Serena…we've held hands before.**_

 _ **NOT LIKE THIS!**_

 _ **What do I do, what do I do?! Just…smile back or something. ANYTHING!**_

Before Serena could react, Professor Sycamore had asked them to join him by the camera. Ash got up leaving Serena there lost in her thoughts, still feeling the warmth on her hand. Clemont and Bonnie walked over to Serena, leaving Ash alone with Sycamore and his assistants.

"Did you figure it out Professor?" Ash asked as he walked up. The Professor, straightened up from the camera, with a hand on his chin. "I believe I have, but I don't think you're going to like it." He said. He motioned Ash to look at the video on his camera. "What do you mean?" Ash asked, but Sycamore didn't answer and played the video.  
"As you can see, the light from your two stones start towards each other, but then when they are very close together it seems they just stop." Sycamore said as the video played. Ash nodded his head. He already knew this. What was the Professor getting at?

"But you if look closely, the two tendrils of light are reacting differently when they stop." Sycamore said as he paused the video. He then zoomed in on the edges of the tendrils, and played the video in slow motion.

"As far as I can see, Charizard's light seems to be waving around, but your light…" He zoomed in on Ash's light. "…It just stops. It seems to shrink away at the last second until the connection is completely broken and both stones go back to normal." Sycamore finished.

"So you're saying there's something wrong with my keystone after all?" Ash asked, hoping this was the case and not the alternative. Sycamore shook his head, "No Ash, if my observations are correct, I think the problem lies with you."

Ash was dumbfounded. Everything Professor Sycamore had taught him about Mega Evolution. How it needed both trainer and pokemon to have be strong enough first of all. Then they would have to share a great bond. While Ash had been separated from his Charizard for some time, he still had enough of a connection to know what Charizard was thinking. Then lastly, they needed the mega stone for the Pokemon and a keystone for the trainer. Ash felt like Charizard and he had all three points covered.

"What do you mean?" Ash asked. Sycamore didn't answer immediately. He had his hand on his chin again, obviously thinking hard about what he was going to say next. "You see Ash, as I have been continuing my research on mega evolution I've been learning new stuff almost every day." Sycamore started saying.

"It's true; your Charizard is very strong and healthy. Your bond with it is also evidently very strong from what little I've seen. And while your mega stone is different from other Charizardite stones I've researched before, it is in fact still a Charizardite. But from what I have learned in the last couple of weeks is that there is another requirement to be met by both Pokemon and Trainer." Sycamore said.

"What is it?" Ash asked. What else he would need to do. "Both the Pokemon and Trainer need to be focused on the same thing, the same goal. Not only do their hearts need to be as one, but their minds as well." He said. Ash got up, "But Charizard and I have the same goal. To be the strongest we can be, and this mega stone will help us there." Professor Sycamore held up his hand, and motioned for Ash to sit back down.

"That may be true, but if I may ask Ash. Is there something else on your mind? Something that is distracting you?" Sycamore asked.

"What? No! I've been training here in Kalos for almost a year. I've had one goal in mind ever since. To compete and win at the Kalos League!" He said, a hint of frustration could be heard from his voice.

"Now, Ash I don't mean to offend you. I'm just trying to help." Sycamore said, Ash looked down ashamed that he got mad at Sycamore. "I'm sorry Professor." He said.

"It's alright, but along your journey you met Clemont and Bonnie, and then Serena. From what I've seen, they're really close friends of yours, so I wouldn't think that they're the ones distracting you. Not even the small detours you take for Serena's Performances." Sycamore said.

"Well I wouldn't call it detours. Sure I had to delay a gym battle a day or two, but in the end it helped out since my pokemon took that time to train even more. Even with the Masters Final, I couldn't do anything since Victory Road only opened today, so I helped Serena with her shot at…" Ash trailed off, a light bulb turned on in Ash's mind.  
"THAT'S IT!" Ash said, springing to his feet. This drew the attention of Serena, Clemont and Bonnie but they stayed where they were. "What is Ash?" Sycamore said.

"The distraction…but I don't know how I can get rid of it. It's kind of complicated." Ash said, his face getting slightly red at the cheeks. "Well if you want to, I can try and help." Sycamore said.

At first Ash hesitated, he didn't want to tell the Professor about his feelings for Serena. But Ash shook those thoughts away, he could trust Professor Sycamore.

Ash begun telling Professor Sycamore about how Serena realized her dream and wanted to become Kalos Queen. With a slight gulp, he also told Sycamore of his growing feelings toward Serena. Then he finally told Sycamore about their meeting with Cynthia and Aria, and said how the responsibilities of their jobs had kept them separated for most of the time.

"And you don't want that to happen to you and Serena?" Sycamore asked as he guessed where Ash was going. "Your dream of being a pokemon master might lead you to leave Serena?" Sycamore said.

Ash shook his head, "Well that's not it…not completely. It's just, Serena was so excited at her chance at being Kalos Queen. I feel like she didn't know what that would mean for us. I feel like she doesn't have the same feelings as I do."

Professor Sycamore nodded his head, "I understand now." He said, "Ash, this won't be easy for you to hear, but if you want to get rid of this distraction. You're going to have to face it head on. You're going to have to talk to Serena about this." He said.

Ash got red again. How could he just walk up to Serena and just reveal his feelings for her. If his suspicions were correct, then she wouldn't feel the same way. He had just put his hand on hers a minute ago and she didn't say anything. Her eyes just widened as if she was surprised.

 _ **If she liked me like I like her wouldn't she have smiled at least?**_

"Ok, but…I can't now." Ash said. Sycamore put a hand on Ash's shoulder. "It's alright Ash. This subject is very sensitive. I don't expect you to just walk up to her and spill the beans." He said with a slight chuckle. "But if you want to clear your mind completely, then you need to confront this. It won't go away until you do." Sycamore said, reassuring the young man.

Professor Sycamore waved at Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie to come over as his assistants started to pack up the equipment. "Did you find out what was wrong Professor?" Serena asked. They all looked at Sycamore. "Yes, I believe we did. But Ash is going to need some time to do it." He said.

"What does Ash have to do?" Bonnie asked, a little too curious for her own good. "Ash and Charizard are going to have to meditate and clear their minds. From what I've been told, you four have had quite the journey. Ash and Charizard tend to get excited for battles, but Ash and his Charizard will have to clear their minds. Approach mega evolution at a different angle." The Professor said. Ash was relieved he didn't tell them the truth.

"Well, as always, I am needed elsewhere. In fact, I'm heading to Shalour city to talk with Gurkinn. There have been reports of another mega stone surfacing. Rumor has it, that it is linked with a pokemon from the Hoenn region." Sycamore said.

Professor Sycamore said his goodbyes, but stayed a little longer saying goodbye to Serena. Ash was worried what he could be telling her, but he knew the Professor wouldn't violate his trust. They watched on as the van drove off. When it was gone, they turned back toward the tunnel that not only linked Santalune City with Snowbelle City, but also housed the entrance to Victory Road.

About halfway through the tunnel, they came upon a massive gate. They had passed here before when going to Luminose City for the Master Finals, but the gate was closed then. Now it was wide open, and four guards were there standing watch.

As they approached the gate, one of the guards challenged them. "This is the entrance to Victory Road, only those who have collected 8 Kalos gym badges may enter." The guard stated. Ash stepped forward, "My name is Ash Ketchum, and here are my badges." He said as he pulled out a case holding his badges. "Come with me then." He said as he started walking over to a small building behind the gate. Ash started to follow, but the other guards stopped Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie.

"Until the badges have been verified, you'll have to stay here." Another guard said. Ash told his friends that it was fine. "Just wait a minute, we'll be fine." He said as he entered the building.

The building had only one room. The room itself was very small, only able to fit a fridge, a microwave, a table with a computer on it with some chairs. There was also a door to the bathroom off to the side. The guard walked over to the computer. He started putting the badges on a pad. Ash could see there were small indents in the pad. Each indent was in the shape of one of the Kalos badges.

As the guard put the last badge into the pad, it started to glow as a laser scanned them. After a couple of seconds, the guard put all the badges back into Ash's case. "Alright Mr. Ketchum, you are good to go through. Are the other individuals with you friends or do they have badges too?" The guard asked as he handed the case back. "Oh, they're just friends, but one of them is a Kalos gym leader, is that alright?" Ash asked.

"Oh it is fine, they're allowed in. It's just that a couple of days before we had some trouble with the wild pokemon here on Victory Road." He said, Ash was intrigued, "What trouble?"

"Well you see, usually they don't give us too much trouble. There may be one or two pokemon that try and cause trouble, but lately we've had groups of them starting to attack the other pokemon here. They haven't attacked us, but something has got the wild pokemon fighting each other. We've never had that happen before on this scale." The guard explained.

"Wow, I wonder what could have upset them like that." Ash said, "Don't worry, we'll be fine." He said as they exited the building.

"They're good to go, let them pass." The guard said to the others. The other guards stepped aside, and Ash was joined by Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie. They walked down a huge hallway with eight banners on the side. Each banner had a symbol of one of the eight Kalos gyms. The hallway continued on for almost half a mile until they finally reached a double door with two more guards.

The two guards open the door, and sunlight filtered through the opening. Ash walked through, and before them was a mountain. On top was the Pokemon League, the next big step for Ash and his dream of being a Pokemon Master. The guards pointed them toward a large cave opening. As they approached it, the last of the sun's rays were dipping below the horizon. So they agreed to make camp at the entrance. They had already spent the day walking here. They were all content of waiting until sunrise to make their way through Victory Road.

As they made camp, Ash sat down on a rock facing the cave entrance with Pikachu. "Alright buddy, tomorrow is the start of our biggest challenge yet."

Little did Ash know how right he was...

 **Author/Narrator note: So Ash has discovered why he hasn't been able to Mega Evolve Charizard. His mind is clouded with uncertainty about Serena. So now that he knows, how will he confront this newest challenge? And what dangers lurk in Victory Road?**


	13. Chapter 13: Victory Road

**Chapter 13: Victory Road**

 **Author's note: These next three chapters are what my original amourshipping story was. However, I felt like I had to make a little prequel to build up Ash and Serena's relationship/predicament. The prequel (the 12 chapters you just read) was a couple of chapters more than I expected but I liked how it turned out. Hope you enjoy!**

Ash was woken up by Pikachu nudging him. "What? What's wrong buddy?" He asked. Pikachu looked back toward the entrance of the cave. "Did you hear something?" He said as he sat up. The night sky was turning lighter, signaling that dawn wasn't far off. They had made a camp in a small clearing under a group of trees away from the entrance.

Ash was about to go back to bed when he heard it. It was faint, but he could have sworn he heard someone scream from inside the cave. Ash slowly got up, and grabbed his belt that held his other pokemon. He went toward the cave with Pikachu leading the way, ready to defend its friend from any danger.

As they neared the entrance again, they heard the scream again. This time it was louder. Ash and Pikachu hid behind a rock at the entrance of the cave. It was still too dark to make out anything.

Pikachu's ears pricked up, and a couple of seconds later, Ash could hear the sound of footsteps…running footsteps. The noise started getting louder and louder until Ash was sure the footsteps were right in front of him.

Ash and Pikachu both flinched as a shadowed figure ran outside the cave entrance. It was a person, and they were running as fast as they could. As they person ran past, he gave another yell and continued down the hill until they got to the doors that led to the long hallway. They could hear the voices of the guards as they closed the doors again.

Ash and Pikachu looked at each other, Ash was confused, but Pikachu was really scared. What could spook someone like that?

"Ash?! Where are you? Ash!" It was Serena. She must have woken up when the person yelled outside. Ash made his way back to camp.

"Ash? Oh there you are! What happened?" Serena said as Ash entered the small clearing. Ash explained how Pikachu had woke him up and that they heard a faint scream so they went to investigate.

"Well you should have at least woken us up." Serena said with a pout. "We were scared that the screaming was you." She said with a softer tone.

Ash scratched the back of his head, "Yeah, sorry I made you worry Serena." He said. Serena's blush was hidden in the pre-dawn light. "I-It wasn't just me Ash." She said.

"Yeah! Dedenne and I were worried you had been attacked" Bonnie said, unknowingly coming to Serena's rescue.

"So what do you think caused that trainer to just run off like that?" Clemont asked as he finished packing up his sleeping bag. Ash didn't know. Besides the noise from the trainer, Ash hadn't heard anything else. He wondered if it was the wild pokemon the guard had talked about.

As they finished packing up, Clemont started making breakfast. Once they finished they went up to the cave entrance, the beginning of Victory Road. The sun had just broke the horizon and bathed the valley they were in with sunlight.

"Alright, come on out Charizard!" Ash said as he threw a Pokeball up in the air. The fire pokemon landed in front of them, awaiting Ash's command. "This is the start of Victory Road Charizard; we'll need your light to see where we're going." Charizard nodded its head and started walking into the cave with Ash. "Ok everyone stay close. Like the guard said, there are some really strong pokemon here."

With that, Clemont took a hold of Bonnie's hand, and Serena walked next to Ash. "C'mon out Braixen!" Serena said as she threw her pokeball in the air. "Help Charizard light the way." Braixen nodded and took out its wand, turning it into a torch.

The two pokemon started leading the group through Victory road. They continued going through for almost an hour until they reached an opening. Sunlight was visible from opening. "What? Is that it? We didn't even see or hear any Pokemon" Bonnie said, frustrated that she was scared for nothing.

They went through the opening, and noticed quickly that it wasn't quite over. In front of them was a path that led up the side of the mountain. At the top they saw another cave entrance. "I guess not Bonnie, let's go!" Ash said as he followed the path, ready to take on the next step in Victory Road.

 _ **Something isn't right though. Victory road is supposed to be filled with wild Pokemon around every corner. We just went a whole hour and there's no sign of pokemon anywhere, or for that matter we haven't seen any other trainers besides the one that ran off earlier.**_

Ash was walking up the path in his own thoughts, until Serena nudged him. "You alright Ash?" She asked. "Oh nothing, just wondering why this place feels…" Ash started to say.

"Abandoned?" Serena finished. Ash nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah, something isn't right here. We should stay alert" They both nodded and continued up the path to the next cave entrance.

When they reached the entrance, they let Charizard and Braixen go ahead of them. They continued for another ten minutes in silence until the two fire pokemon stopped. "Hmm? What is it Charizard?" Ash asked. "You see something Braixen?" Serena asked.

The two pokemon stepped away from each other and shone their fire at something on the ground. There was a backpack with several scratch marks on it. They continued on, and noticed very unnatural features around them. Every so often they found a crater, some ranging from shallow foxholes, to some that could fit a Snorlax. There were burn marks on the walls, and there was even a patch of ice, still frozen from an Ice Beam.

They continued on and more signs of battle were visible, but they hadn't seen or heard anything. To be on the safe side, Ash called out his Greninja. Its heightened senses would help. They went on until the found another opening with light filtering in. Upon exiting they found themselves on a wide path at the edge of the mountain, about halfway up to their guess. They went around a bend and saw a bridge…Or what was left of it. Clemont inspected the left over bridge on their side, and said the bridge had been severed from this anchor point.

They looked around and saw there was no other way around. "Looks like we'll need to fly across" Ash said as he took out another Pokeball, "C'mon out Noivern!" He said. "Serena and I will go ahead and then you two follow" Ash said to his friends.

Ash offered Serena to sit on Charizard, and he took Noivern. Serena recalled Braixen, and the two Pokemon flew off toward the other side. Greninja stayed back with Clemont and Bonnie.

As they flew over, all of a sudden a group of Skarmory flew in from above. Noivern and Charizard saw them, and dodge their initial attacks. However there were too many of them and one of the Skarmory had circled around behind Charizard.

Serena braced for impact, as the Skarmory charged in with a Steel Wing. But somehow the attack never came. The Skarmory that was behind them was now falling. It had been hit by Greninja's Water Shuriken.

"We got to land now! Talonflame, cover us!" Ash shouted as he released his bird pokemon. With Talonflame and Greninja providing support, Charizard and Noivern were able to get Ash and Serena safely down on the other side of the chasm. As they landed, about a dozen Fearow had arrived and were assisting the Skarmory. Clemont had called on his Luxray and Bunnelby to help and Serena had called out Braixen too while Pikachu joined in as well.

Ash took charge of his four Pokemon on his side while Clemont was commanding his Pokemon and Greninja. As Ash was directing his pokemon, he noticed that part of the mountain was moving behind Clemont and Bonnie. "Clemont! Behind you!" Ash shouted, but with the battle raging on above, Clemont only heard Ash say his name. He looked over and saw Ash pointing at him. He was wondering what he was doing until he saw Greninja turn around and look at him. Greninja jumped over him, firing off many Water Shurikens behind him. Clemont turned to watch and saw that a huge pile of rocks was now behind them.

"Bonnie stay close!" Clemont said, but Bonnie was already hugging her brother's leg tight. Clemont looked at the boulders, and then noticed it was about a dozen or so Gravelers. Greninja had stopped their advance.

"Talonflame, go help Clemont!" Ash shouted, but every time it tried, a Fearow or Skarmory blocked its path. "Darn it! Serena they're trying to separate us from Clemont" He said as Serena was directing her Braixen and now Sylveon in the battle. While they were holding their own, the sheer amount of Fearow and Skarmory seemed too much, and they were indeed pushing Ash and Serena back from the bridge. "What do we do?!" She shouted.

"Talonflame! Try once more, use Brave Bird to push through!" Ash said to his pokemon. Talonflame circled back and rushed the line of Fearow and Skarmory as it ignited in blue flames. Though three of them tried to stop Talonflame they were all blown aside by the powerful move. With Talonflame across, Ash then tried to connect with Greninja.

 _ **Greninja, can you hear me?**_

 _ **Gren!**_

 _ **There's too many of them. We can't keep fighting like this. You have to lead Clemont and Bonnie back into the tunnel. Try to find another route up. Serena and I will go on ahead and try to double back.**_

 _ **Ninja…?**_

 _ **We'll be fine, just get them to safety alright?**_

 _ **Greninja!**_

Ash looked over and saw Greninja talk with Talonflame and Clemont's pokemon and they started to escort Clemont and Bonnie through the group of Gravelers. With that, Ash grabbed Serena's arm. "We have to go now! Clemont will try and meet us from a different path." He said as he ran. "What?!" She said, looking back.

"You have to trust me Serena! Greninja and Talonflame will look after them." He said as they ran up the hill. "I trust you Ash." She said as she joined him in running. Their pokemon provided cover as they retreated until they found the next cave system. As they ran in the Fearow and Skarmory broke off their pursuit.

"You alright Serena?" Ash asked. Serena nodded her head. She was gasping for air, tired from all the uphill running. Ash went over to each pokemon including Braixen and Sylveon and checked to see if they were alright. Charizard and Noivern only had a few scratches and bruises. Braixen and Sylveon were also alright.

 _ **Greninja, you alright? How is everyone?**_

 _ **Greninja!**_

Ash looked through Greninja's eyes and saw that the others were ok, but Talonflame was a bit hurt. Clemont was tending to its injuries. He relayed the information to Serena and the Pokemon. They still had no idea how Ash and Greninja could do what they do, but were relieved that they knew the others were safe.

"Noivern, see if you can find us a way to Clemont and the others." Ash said. The pokemon nodded and flew off a little and started scanning the cave system with its sonar. After a minute, it flew back motioning to them that it had found a way. "Alright Noivern lead the way with Braixen. Charizard stay behind us and watch our backs." Ash commanded.

Serena looked on as Ash took charge of the situation. He may be a dense boy that can't dance, but when it came down to serious situations like this, he never flinched. He always knew what to do, and what the right thing was. While she loved the kind and carefree Ash, this serious side of Ash made her chest burn.

"Serena?"

Serena looked up. Ash had his hand down toward her. "You ok Serena? Do you need a minute?" He asked. Serena blushed a little bit, but it was hidden due to the shadows. "Oh no, I'm fine. Let's go find Clemont and Bonnie" She said as she accepted his hand to help her up.

They followed Noivern for some time. The path they took was jagged and required some climbing. This obviously wasn't the way to go normally, but they weren't going to risk the cliff side again. Ash could feel they were getting closer to Greninja. They had closed about half the distance until they reach a large cavern. Ash and Serena looked around in awe. The cavern they were in was massive. With Braixen and Charizard's fire they could see most of the area.

They went across it until Noivern stopped. Ash and Serena stopped and looked at Noivern, wondering why it had stopped. Before Ash could ask what was wrong, it flew back toward Ash. Out of the corner of Ash's eye, he could see something else come straight at him. Noivern intercepted it and immediately got knock down by it. Ash saw that the thing that Noivern collided with was a boulder. The boulder had been aimed at them, and Noivern had intercepted it with its own body.

"Noivern!" Ash shouted as he rushed to his Pokemon. Charizard used a powerful flamethrower that engulfed the other side of the cavern where the boulder had come from.

"He's hurt badly Ash, we need to get out of here." Serena said as they check on Noivern. One of its wings were badly hurt but Noivern was conscious. "Noivern, return" Ash said as Noivern returned to its pokeball.

"Braixen!"

Ash and Serena looked back; Braixen was pointing its wand at the far end of the cavern. There stood 3 Golems on a ledge, and with them stood a hooded figure.

"Hey what's the big idea. Attacking us like that. Trainers are supposed to fight with honor!" Ash shouted.

The hooded figure didn't respond, but they could see that the figure was smiling. Charizard and Braixen went back to Ash and Serena and stood in front of them. Pikachu jumped down and joined the two fire Pokemon.

"You're going to pay for hurting my Noivern!" Ash said, but before he could get an attack off, the hooded figure spoke.

"Oh, I don't think so…Ash" The figure said. Ash and Serena gasped, "How do you know my name?!" Ash shouted back.

"It no longer matters…Golems…use Earthquake, bury them!" The figure shouted.

The three golems jumped off the ledge and smashed the cavern floor simultaneously. The resulting force from their combined Earthquake attack shook the very mountain. Ash, Serena, and Braixen fell over from the shockwave, but Charizard flew up and avoided the triple Earthquake attack. Before it could retaliate with a Flamethrower, the three Golems disappeared into the dust. The cavern Ash and Serena were in started to collapse. Rock debris was raining down from the ceiling; the dust was suffocating.

Ash grabbed Serena and stood her up, Pikachu jumped on Ash's shoulder. They ran for the nearest opening, trying to get away from the falling rock debris. Charizard led the way, breaking through any debris in their way. As the came upon an exit, another quake shook the ground. Ash and Serena tripped from the shaking and fell to the ground. The floor cracked from underneath them. A rift opened and separated Charizard, Ash and Braixen from Serena. Serena was cut off from the exit as the rift was growing larger.

"Charizard, grab her!" Ash frantically shouted. With a flap from its wings, Charizard jumped over the growing chasm, and grabbed Serena. Charizard turned around, ready to jump but to Ash's surprise it didn't take off immediately. As Ash was about to yell, Charizard gave one big gust of it's wings, sending Ash and Braixen backwards through the exit.

A second later a pile of rocks had landed where they were standing earlier. Charizard had saved them, but the pile had sealed the exit; seperating the two groups. Ash started to climb up the rocky blockade, and found a small hole. He looked out and saw Serena in Charizard's arms. Charizard was protecting her from the falling debris with its own body.

"Ash!" Serena called out as she saw Ash through the hole.

"Charizard, get Serena out of here!" Ash shouted, Charizard shook its head. It was not going to abandon its trainer.

"No Ash! I'm not leaving you!" Serena cried.

"Get out of here…NOW! SAVE HER! **SAVE HER!** " Ash yelled at the top of his lungs. Charizard obeyed, and flew off with Serena in its arms.

"ASH!" Serena called out once more. But Charizard kept flying.

Once they were out of sight, Ash climbed down. Braixen and Pikachu were there scared to death for Serena.

"Don't worry Braixen, Charizard will protect her." He said, but they couldn't stay where they were as the cavern they were now in was collapsing as well.

"We need to move!" Ash said. With that Pikachu jumped back on Ash's shoulder while Braixen led the way dodging rocks as they fell down from the ceiling.

 _ **Please be safe Serena…**_

It was the last thing he thought before his mind went blank


	14. Chapter 14: A Conspiracy to Conquer

**Chapter 14: A Conspiracy to Conquer...**

 **Author's note: Somebody brought up why I didn't have Ash bring in Infernape. While Infernape is arguably one of Ash's most powerful Pokemon, I felt that having three fire types would be too much. Ash already had Talonflame and I felt that Charizard would have been the better choice since Ash should get a Mega Evolved Pokemon.**

 **For any other Pokemon, like Tauros or Krookodile...I felt that would be too many Pokemon for Ash to use. As of right now, he will be using 9. His 5 Kalos Pokemon, Charizard, Sceptile, Torterra, and Snorlax. Truth be told, I was going to have Krookodile instead of Torterra but changed it at the last minute.**

 **Posting this a bit early since I won't have the chance for another 12 hours.**

 **Now on to the story...**

* * *

 _ **Please be safe Ash...Wait. Is he in danger? Where am I? I remember...we were attacked. Clemont and Bonnie got separated, Ash said they were ok...ASH?! What happened, there was this trainer...and the Golems, they...oh no. Ash? ASH?!**_

"ASH?!" Serena said as she woke up. The air was still thick with dust causing Serena to fight for breath. She felt warm, but when she looked around she couldn't see anything. It was completely dark.

As she moved, she felt a soft surface above her. It was warm to the touch.

"Charizard?" Serena said, her voice hoarse and dry. The Pokemon above her stirred. Serena could hear Charizard breathing.

"Char..." It said with a weak voice.

Serena's eyes grew accustomed to the dark. She was in a small space, created by Charizard's body. She crawled out through a small opening under one of Charizard's arms. When she tried to stand up, her head spun from the sudden dizziness; causing Serena to fall back down.

Collecting herself again, she looked around and saw Charizard's tail flame. It illuminated the area around them.

"Oh my! Charizard, are you ok?!" Serena gasped. Charizard was half buried under a pile of stone. The Pokemon's head was not covered, and it turned toward Serena. Charizard gave a small growl. It was trying to say it was fine, but Serena could hear the pain in its voice.

Seeing Charizard like this made Serena remember what had happened, Ash's voice echoing in her mind.

 _ **Get out of here...NOW! Save her! SAVE HER!**_

Her eyes widened with horror. She frantically looked around for any signs of Ash and her Braixen.

"Ash? Braixen? Where are you?!" She shouted into the darkness. There was no reply except for her echoes, but then she heard Charizard stirring behind her. She saw Charizard trying to get up.

"Charizard, hold on, you're hurt. Don't move please." She said, but Charizard was bracing itself. The flame on its tail flashed brightly and in one strong push, was able to get out from under the rubble where it collapsed on the ground again.

"Charizard, don't move please. Let me look at your injuries first." She said. Charizard while a proud pokemon, did as Serena said and allowed her to tend to its injuries. Serena looked with anguish as she saw the injuries that Charizard had sustained in the flickering light from its tail.

"Your back is badly bruised, oh Charizard..." Serena started to cry but the air was too dusty for tears to form. She took off her backpack and grabbed some berries from within it.

"I don't have any potions. Clemont had them, but here are some Sitrus Berries. They should help you a little bit." Serena explained as she fed Charizard a pair of healing berries. Charizard ate them, as Serena petted it's head and neck.

"Thank you Charizard, you were so brave. If it weren't for you, I don't know what would have happened to me." She said as Charizard finished the berries. As it gulped down the last bit, it felt new energy and started to stand up.

"Oh no, wait Charizard, you're not healed completely!" She protested, but Charizard didn't listen. With effort it was able to stand up though with a slight slouch; a result from the bad injury on his back. Its breathing was slightly labored, but Charizard was stable.

Serena gave Charizard a faint smile, "Geez, you're just like Ash, aren't you? Too stubborn for your own good." Charizard, while still in pain returned a faint smile of its own. It took Serena's comment as a compliment.

As Serena started to mend Charizard's other injuries, she heard a rock move from somewhere in the darkness. Charizard moved in front of Serena, ready to protect her from the unknown threat.

They heard small footsteps, and saw a faint light coming from far away. Soon Serena could hear multiple footsteps, and some faint voices.

"Is she in here? Ok lead on, but watch your step." A male voice said. Charizard tensed up, ready to send a fiery attack in the direction of the light.

"Serena?! Are you in there?" A female voice shouted.

 _ **Bonnie...?**_

"Bonnie! Is that you?" Serena shouted back. Charizard relaxed, the fire in its mouth dying away as the threat was in fact their friends.

"Serena! Hold on we're coming!" The male voice shouted, it was Clemont.

The light grew brighter and brighter as it got closer. About 50 feet away Serena and Charizard saw Luxray appear from around a corner, its eyes were glowing bright. Luxray was using its ability to see through walls to guide Clemont and Bonnie. After Luxray, Serena saw Clemont and Bonnie. Clemont's backpack had a flashlight mounted on it. That was the source of the light.

Bonnie ran to Serena, where they embraced. Greninja came out of the shadows and came right up to Charizard, and it was soon joined by Talonflame. They were asking about Ash.

"Serena, are you alright?" Clemont asked. Serena nodded but Clemont noticed a cut over her right eye. Clemont offered to look at it, but Serena refused. "I'm fine, but Charizard hurt its back really badly. Can you help him first?" Clemont walked over to Charizard and examined its back. He took out a potion and started spraying Charizard's back.

Serena looked around. There was no sign of Ash or Braixen. Bonnie pulled Serena's arm, "Serena, where's Ash?" she asked. Serena wasn't able to answer, she fell to her knees.

"I don't know, when the Golems attacked we were separated." She said, trying to hold back her tears. Clemont had finished with Charizard, "Golems? Were they the ones that caused that massive earthquake?" He asked; Serena nodded. Serena explained what happened after they were separated at the cliffside as Clemont treated her cut.

"Who was that person with the Golems?" Bonnie asked, "How did they know Ash?" Serena shooked her head, "I don't know." She said. "But we need to find Ash, he shouldn't be far."

"Serena?" Clemont had been listening the whole time. "Did you and Charizard just wake up?" Serena looked over at Clemont. "Yes, it was only 5 or so minutes until you found us." Clemont lowered his head.

"We felt that Earthquake attack. It felt like the whole mountain was falling down, but..." He said, "...that was more than 6 hours ago."

Serena's eyes widened. She hadn't realized she had been knocked out for that long. Ash would have found them by now unless...unless...

"We need to find Ash!" Serena said as she sprang to her feet. Clemont stood in front of Serena, "We can't find him, Luxray has been looking for 6 hours and we just found you." Clemont said. Serena stopped, her hands hugging herself. "We can't give up..." She said, tearing up.

Clemont went up to Serena, "And we're not giving up Serena. But we can't just go running off. We need a plan." He said.

"Greninja! You can connect with Ash! You can find him." Serena said as she ran over to the ninja pokemon. Greninja just looked down, it had a sad look. Serena's heart stopped, if Greninja couldn't feel Ash, wouldn't that mean...?

"We tried that Serena. Greninja couldn't sense Ash after the attack. As we were taking cover, Greninja seemed to be in pain." Clemont explained, "It clutched its head and it was running around as if confused. It only lasted for ten seconds, and after that Greninja was back to normal but it seems to have been separated from Ash." He said.

Serena was feeling light-headed, but her chest was aching worse. The feeling was too much she fell. Greninja caught her, but she had fainted. All she could see was black, but then something began to appear in her vision.

 _ **Where am I? I'm climbing some rocks...What is this? Oh there's Charizard and...me?! Am I dead? Is this an out of body experience?**_

 _ **"Charizard, get Serena out of here!"**_

 _ **That voice was Ash's...but it came from...me?**_

 _ **"No Ash! I'm not leaving you!"**_

 _ **I said that...or me over there. Wait this is what happened when the Golems attacked. But why am I seeing this through Ash's eyes?**_

 _ **"Get out of here...NOW! Save her! SAVE HER!"**_

Serena saw Charizard fly away with herself. She heard herself cry out one more time for Ash. She was reliving the experience through Ash's eyes. And his eyes were looking at them as they flew away. Then all of sudden, she started to move again. Ash had climbed down, Serena saw her Braixen.

 _ **Braixen is so scared...**_

 _ **"Don't worry Braixen, Charizard will protect her."**_

 _ **Ash then looked up and saw the debris falling down.**_

 _ **"We need to move!"**_

Serena couldn't control anything as Ash started to run with Braixen. She heard a noise next to her. It wasn't a sound from Ash's perspective, but hers. The vision she was having all of a sudden backed away. She was now watching it as if it was on a movie screen. Serena gained control of her body. She turned toward the noise.

 _ **Greninja, is that you?**_

The water pokemon nodded its head. They were surrounded by darkness, but they were illuminated in light. Serena turned back toward the vision. Ash and Braixen were still running.

 _ **"Look out Pikachu!"**_

 _ **The vision showed Ash catching Pikachu, stopping the pokemon from falling into an abyss.**_

 _ **"C'mon this way!"**_

Serena and Greninja watched as Ash put Pikachu on its shoulder and navigated the destruction happening around him and Braixen. Serena gasped as Ash tripped on a pothole. He looked up and saw a large boulder falling straight at him, ready to crush him. Ash's arms appeared in front of him as if to protect himself. Serena couldn't look away as she lost control of her body again.

 _ **NO! I can't watch Ash die! Please!**_

 _ **But then the boulder was pushed aside from a Fire Blast. Ash looked over and saw Braixen. Braixen ran over and helped Ash up.**_

 _ **"Brai!"**_

 _ **"Thanks Braixen, I owe you one. Where do we go? The whole place is falling apart!"**_

But then a light appeared behind Ash. Serena wanted to turn around but couldn't. Ash had noticed and turned around. The light was blinding, and Ash's arm was raised in front of it to block the light. Ash turned back to Braixen and Serena saw her pokemon's face. It had a horrified look on its face. It raised its wand, but after a small flash it lowered it, almost as if it was relaxed.

 _ **"Braixen? What's wrong? Who are you!"**_

 _ **Ash had turned back toward the light. Serena heard another noise from Greninja. She looked and it was clutching its head again in agony.**_

 _ **"Please be safe Serena..."**_

Serena heard those sincere words and turned back to the screen, but something was happening. The screen was filled with light but then it faded away until it disappeared completely. Serena was alone in the darkness with Greninja. Slowly Greninja got back up. Serena was about to go to the pokemon, but then Greninja turned around and walked away into the darkness leaving Serena finally alone.

Serena fell down to her knees. The spotlight that illuminated her had gone away. She curled up, and started to cry uncontrollably. Everywhere around her was dark and silent.

"Serena?!"

 _ **What was that?**_

"You need to wake up!"

 _ **Wait am I asleep?**_

"Serena! Someone is coming! Wake up!"

With that Serena woke up. She looked around. She was lying down, next to her was Clemont and Bonnie on one side. On the other was Greninja. Charizard and Talonflame were facing the darkness ahead of them.

"Is it Ash? Serena asked, "Ugh...my head." She said grabbing her head. It was throbbing as if a Rhyhorn had hit her.

Clemont looked over to where Charizard and Talonflame were. "I don't know..."

Serena sat up, still hurting from the headache she had. She looked over at Greninja, and remembered...

"I saw Ash!" She said, making Clemont and Bonnie turn to her in confusion. "And you were there with me Greninja." The pokemon looked down, and nodded its head.

"What did you see Serena?" Clemont asked.

Serena didn't know how to respond, "I, um...I think I saw what happened to Ash. I think I saw what Greninja saw." She said, trying to remember every detail of the vision she had.

"When you fainted, Greninja caught you. When Greninja caught you it flinched. I think it must have showed you." Clemont said.

Bonnie grabbed Serena's arm, "What happened to Ash? Is he ok? Is he..." She couldn't finish her words. Serena hugged Bonnie, "I don't know, I saw this..." but before Serena could explain, Charizard and Talonflame called out.

"Char!"

"Talon!"

The three trainers looked and saw the two pokemon looking at a figure at the edge of the darkness. It was above them on a ledge, the features barely visible to them.

"I'm perfectly fine, thank you for wondering" The voice called out as it stepped out of the darkness.

"ASH!" They all called out.

Ash was there standing on the ledge, his face visible in the light of Charizard's flame. Pikachu was on Ash's shoulders. Serena got up, she wasn't going to have dizziness stop her from going to Ash. As she ran, a powerful hand grabbed her, stopping Serena in her tracks. Serena looked back.

"What are you doing Greninja?" Serena asked, "What's gotten into you?" But Ash answered, "Yeah, what's wrong Greninja? I can't feel your mind anymore" He said, Serena could have sworn she heard a slight laugh in his words.

Serena looked back toward Ash, "Ash, where's Braixen? Is she alright?" She asked. Ash frowned, but then his face turned to anger.

"Braixen is fine!" Ash yelled, making Serena flinch. Clemont came forward, "Ash what's the matter? Where is Braixen?" He said. Clemont looked over at Greninja, it was looking at Ash with an intense look. Charizard stepped forward with Greninja, but Bonnie stayed with Talonflame behind them.

"And there we go again. You know, I wonder why I stayed with you three?" Ash growled.

Serena couldn't believe what she was hearing. She stood there stunned at Ash's revelation. "I was stuck for 6 hours, and here you all are just sitting around. Throughout our journey, I did everything to help you, even if it meant to delay my wants or needs. But when I needed you the most...here you are just sitting around." Ash said with a sinister voice.

"Clemont! All your stupid inventions blew up or didn't work, or both! But I continued to support you, believing your stuff was still helping us." Ash said, he turned toward Bonnie.

"Bonnie! How many times have I had to save you? You always go out of your way to make our journey harder than it already is!" He yelled, Bonnie started to cry, not believing that Ash could be so cruel.

"And you...Serena" Ash said coldly, "All your performances, I helped you through all of them, I supported you all the way. But whats worse? You didn't care what your dream would do to us...to me. You didn't care what happened as long as you became the new Kalos Queen" Ash said, staring down Serena with his hateful eyes.

"I gave everything to you three, but you didn't care. All you were going to do after the Pokemon League was say thanks for the adventure and leave!"

Everyone was shocked at what Ash had said, everyone but Greninja.

 _ **No no no! This isn't Ash! This can't be, no! Ash would never think like that!**_

As much as Serena couldn't believe what she was hearing, she couldn't shake off that Ash was somewhat right. He had supported Clemont in continuing in his inventions. Bonnie had gotten them into a lot of trouble, and Ash would be help them out of it most of the time.

Ash had been Serena's biggest foundation, her strongest support in her performance, especially after her first one when she lost badly. But he did those things because he was a good person and a great friend.

Serena was confused at the last part though. What did Ash mean by her dream of being Kalos Queen.

Serena, wiped her tears away, about to ask why Ash thought the way he did. Why he had changed so much, when Greninja sprung into action.

It leaped up, and fired a Water Shuriken right at Ash. They all gasped at Greninja's action to attack its own trainer. But Ash didn't bat an eye as the attack zoomed toward him. A light flashed behind Ash, and a torrent of flame intercepted Greninja's attack, stopping it.

They all looked as Braixen came out of the darkness and stood next to Ash.

"Braixen, are you alright?" Serena called out to her pokemon. It didn't respond, not even looking at her. Ash's face grew red with anger again.

"Even after what I said, you still didn't believe me. I said Braixen was fine!" Ash yelled, but then smirked. "In fact, we're better than before. We found true friends that helped us when you didn't!"

With that 3 Pokemon came behind Ash and joined him. A Rhydon, Hydreigon, and a Pangoro appeared out of the darkness. Standing beside each of the new Pokemon was another hooded figure.

"Take care of them" Ash said as he turned around. Ash and Braixen left, leaving the three mysterious people and their Pokemon. They squared off with Charizard and Greninja. Sylveon jumped out of its pokeball on its own and joined Charizard and Greninja.

The 6 pokemon clashed. Charizard flew up and challenged Hydreigon. Greninja started trading attacks with Pangoro, and Sylveon fought Rydon, dodging it's powerful charge attacks.

Clemont had taken charge of the three pokemon as they fought. Talonflame and his Luxray joined in and helped. Bonnie was behind her brother clinging on, terrified of the battle that was happening in front of her.

Serena stood there...unable to take in what had happened. Ash, a boy she loved had turned against them. Braixen, her first pokemon didn't even notice her.

 _ **Ash...how could you do this to us...to me. I love you.**_

Greninja landed in front of her, snapping her out of her trance. She looked and saw Talonflame and Luxray battling the Pangoro. Greninja looked at Serena with stern eyes, then pointed at the ledge where Ash had been. Serena clenched her fists.

"Lets go after him!"


	15. Chapter 15:And to Destroy

**Chapter 15: ...And to Destroy**

Greninja helped Serena up the ledge. They both ran, but soon the darkness was too much. They couldn't see where they were going. Then they heard a cry from behind them. It was Talonflame. It engulfed its body in flame like a Flame Charge and lit up the tunnel they were in.  
"What about the others? Are they alright?" Serena asked, Talonflame nodded its head. The Pangoro and Rhydon were defeated, but more pokemon came to fight them. Clemont had seen Serena and Greninja go after Ash, and so ordered Talonflame to go after them.

With Talonflame leading the way, Serena and Greninja went after Ash. Serena couldn't get Ash's final words to her out of her mind. What did she do to make Ash angry at her. All she wanted to do was travel with Ash, experience adventures together, explore all the regions, and find new pokemon and friends. But most of all she wanted to be with Ash, nothing was more important to her. It was this reason that made her heart ache and her mind flooded with emotions.

As they exited the tunnel, they found themselves in a cavern lit by torches on the walls. On the other side they saw Ash with Pikachu and Braixen. They were walking up a lone staircase in the middle. The stairs led to a height Serena couldn't see. Whatever was up there wasn't illuminated by the torches.

"Ash! Stop please!" Serena shouted. Ash didn't look back, but he did stop. Serena, Greninja, and Talonflame stopped at the foot of the stairs.

"Ash...please, what is wrong. Why are you so angry at us...at me?" She asked fighting back the tears again. Ash turned around but didn't say anything. He just looked at Serena with an angry expression.

"Don't you remember that night in Luminose?" Serena continued, "You can tell me anything. I want to help. Whatever I did to you, you can tell me."

Ash's face softened slightly, but then another figure appeared behind him and the angry look came back to Ash.

"You may at one time meant that, but as our journey came to an end I knew what you truly wanted." Ash said, "And you were ready to throw everything you had with us to get what you wanted."

"What do you think I want Ash? What is it that I want more than to be with you?" Serena asked, she was so scared at what she was about to say to Ash next.

 _ **This is it, I'm going to confess everything to Ash. If he doesn't believe me, then I don't know what I can do.**_

The figure was right behind Ash, but Serena couldn't quite make out what it was. It definitely wasn't a human. It was some kind of pokemon. Ash shook his head, then looked at Serena with a hateful glare that tore into Serena's soul.

"It no longer matters" He said, and with that a faint glow appeared from the figure behind Ash. Serena remembered that glow from somewhere, long ago.

Greninja and Talonflame weren't going to wait, they sprung into action, but Pikachu and Braixen went down to meet them. The glow faded, and the figure went back up the stairs, but not before Serena saw the top of the figure's head.

 _ **It's Malamar! It's come back!**_

As Serena came to the realization that Malamar came back, something else popped into her mind. Something that made her heart soar.

 _ **Ash is under Malamar's control, that means...He doesn't mean what he has said. He doesn't hate us...hate me. Those aren't his words, those are Malamar's!**_

Serena looked up at Ash. He was directing Pikachu and Braixen against Greninja and Talonflame. He was distracted, so Serena ran up to Ash.

 _ **Ash has helped me so many times before, now it's my turn to save him!**_

Ash saw Serena running up, "Pikachu use Iron tail on Serena! Knock her down!" He ordered. Serena looked to her right and saw Pikachu coming right at her with a glowing tail. Serena closed her eyes, bracing for the attack.

But the attack never came. She opened her eyes and saw Greninja in front of her. It had stopped Pikachu's Iron Tail, with its own Cut attack. Greninja pushed Pikachu back and continued to battle it. Serena continued her climb after Ash.

"Braixen use Flamethrower at Serena!" He yelled. But before Braixen could do so, Talonflame slammed into Braixen with Brave Bird, knocking Braixen several yards back landing on the wall.

With that, Serena had reached Ash. They stood right next to each other; Ash on a step higher than Serena. They locked eyes.

"I'm not leaving you" Serena said softly. Ash gave a small laugh. He turned around and walked up the stairs. "Sure you will..."

 _ **It's not Ash, it's not him doing this...**_

Serena ran up, and stepped in front of Ash. "I'm not leaving you Ash!" Ash's face turned to frustration as he shoved Serena to the side, almost knocking her off the stairs. "You're lying!" He shouted as he continued up the stairs again.

Serena got up again. She wasn't going to leave Ash in his darkest hour. She once again stepped up to Ash who had his teeth bared in an enraged expression. She had her arms up, as if to block him.

"What makes you think I'm going to leave you? That's Malamar talking, not you!" She said. Ash's hands clenched into fists.

"You were going to leave me if you became Kalos Queen!" Ash shouted.

Serena was confused. How would becoming Kalos Queen make her leave Ash. Sure she had thought that the responsibilities of being Kalos Queen would stop her from travelling with Ash, but Aria had told her...

 _ **Oh no...I never told him what Aria said. He never knew...**_

This realization made Serena lower her arms, her head lowered as she finally understood what had caused Ash to be so distant after the Finals. Ash took this as defeat, and walked past her, continuing up the stairs. Before he could make it more than a couple of stairs Serena turned around and called out to him.

"Ash, wait...listen to me." She said, but Ash kept on going. "The day of the Finals, when Aria talked to me...she told me something." Ash stopped, a dozen steps over Serena.

"She knew of my hesitation. I was worried if I won I wouldn't be able to travel with you anymore. She saw that, and she told me that if I won, I didn't have to take up the mantle of Kalos Queen." Ash stayed there not making a sound. After a moment, he turned around and looked down at Serena. She had a saddened look as she told Ash the truth.

"I'm so sorry I didn't tell you. I was going to...but I just got caught up with everything that was happening that day. I didn't realized how much I hurt you. But if I did win; If I had to choose between you and being Kalos Queen, I would have chosen you." Serena finished. Ash's face was complex. It was as if he was fighting something inside himself.

"S-Serena...is that true?" He started to say, but then Ash fell down on the steps grabbing his head, yelling in agony and rage.

"Ash what's wrong?" Serena gasped. She ran up and knelt down next to him. "Ash fight it! You're stronger than this. I believe in you!" She said. Ash looked up at her, his eyes with a red glow. "NO!" He yelled and he pushed her down the stairs. Serena stopped herself after a couple of steps. When she looked up Ash was already running up the stairs.

Serena looked down, the four pokemon were still fighting. Greninja gave her a quick glance and nodded. They could handle the other two. Serena had to go up to Ash. She picked herself up, but her knee had been hurt from her fall. Mustering up her strength she started up the stairs after Ash.

She stumbled up the stairs into the darkness. She tripped and fell on her knees when the stairs all of sudden stopped. She had reached the top. She was in another room, but the ground was different. Before the ground was natural and rough. The ground that Serena felt was solid and smooth. A faint light could be seen on the other side.

As Serena got closer, she saw the light was glowing red. As she got closer she could see that the ground looked like it was made of tile, but with stone instead of normal tile. She walked past black clumps of red growths. They looked like tree roots, but were twisted and stretched out like webbing. The red spots would pulse with the same red glow. Serena recognized these strange roots. These were the same things at the Radar station that Malamar had taken over in the past. Serena remembered Malamar talking about how these were part of some master plan.

Serena found the source of the light. It was a large dome like structure on the other side of the large room, and in front of it was Ash.

"Ash I'm not going to leave you." Serena shouted as she walked up to Ash.

"Stop right there!" Ash demanded, but Serena kept on walking. Ash was grasping his head.

"The weapon must be complete!" Ash yelled, raising his fists.

"I don't care about that Ash, I care about you." Serena said as she stopped in front of Ash.

Ash hands were clenched and shaking as if conflicted. Serena took her chance and went to grab his hand, but Ash lashed out and slapped Serena, knocking her down.

Serena got up slowly, her cheek burning where Ash had hit her. She stood up, and took a step toward Ash who raised his hand again but now in a fist. "Ash, I want to give you something."

Serena's voice made Ash pause, his fists relaxed. He looked at her, confused at what she meant. Serena didn't have her backpack with her. She had left it with Clemont and Bonnie back when he first appeared to them. What could she have to give him? She walked up to Ash, barely a foot away from him. Ash's jaw was tense, his teeth were showing in a half snarl. But his eyes were shifting between rage and sadness.

Ash looked down at Serena's hands as she unravaled the blue ribbon on her chest. "You gave this to me, remember?" Ash eyes widened as he stared down at the blue ribbon. His hands still raised and ready to strike again. "You gave it to me as a present; a symbol of our friendship." Ash's hands lowered and his jaw relaxed.

"But as we continued our journey throughout Kalos I began to see it as something else." Serena whispered. Ash cleared his throat.

"W-What...did it...mean to you?" He said, his words labored as he continued to fight over his mind and body.

"It was everything." Serena answered. She reached for his hand again, but this time Ash didn't retaliate. Serena grabbed one of his hands and opened it.

"I'm now giving it to you, not as a symbol of our friendship, but of my love for you." Serena said in a whisper. She let go of his hand. Ash looked down at his hand, now holding the blue ribbon. His eyes wide in shock, his mouth open in awe.

"You...?" Ash started but gasped as he took a step back grabbing his head with both hands, dropping the ribbon. His eyes closed in pain. Serena looked on in horror as Ash fell down. She couldn't do anything. Nothing to comfort her love as he battled for his mind and body.

"Get out of my head!" Ash shouted through clenched teeth.

"She is trying to decieve you! Do not falter when we are so close to achieving our goal!" Ash responded. But this voice was different, and it made Serena have goosebumps.

Ash was writhing around on the ground. He was fighting Malamar's influence for control of his body and mind.

"No, you are the one decieving. You want to destroy everything...everyone!"

"I only want to create a new and better world. Think of all the evil that exists in this region alone! And it all comes from humans. You must trust one another, but you lie and steal and do far worse things to Pokemon. Humanity's true nature is evil, and with the Great Weapon we will wipe away this darkness."  
Ash stopped moving, he was on his knees. He lowered his hands from his head.

"You're wrong...You've been focusing on all the bad stuff that you haven't seen all the good that's been happening around you. What about all the humans and pokemon that live in harmony with one another?"

"What good? What harmony?! Down below, your very Pokemon battle against each other because of that girl and your so called friends. What good comes out of battling?!"

Ash looked at the ribbon on the ground and picked it up in his hand. Serena thought she heard Ash laugh a little.

"Friendship...Trust...The chance to push your own limits and find new heights. To meet new friends from around the world and create new bonds that you will never forget."

"You think that's how the world really is boy? The world isn't some fairy tale!"

Ash looked up at Serena, she was kneeling next to him. As he met her gaze, she gave him a smile.

"Yes I do. Malamar, you were there 3,000 years ago when the Great War happened. You saw a lot of bad things; things that never should have happened, but they did. You have every right to hate that world of the past, but the world has changed over time. We learned the value of friendship, of trust." Ash responded as he started to smile. It was the good smile, Serena saw. The smile that made her feel warm inside. The same smile of the caring and kind boy she fell in love with.

"If you'll let me, I'll gladly be your friend, and show you all the good there is."

Ash's head lowered and stayed there, frozen. Malamar was pondering Ash's offer. Serena sat there awaiting Malamar's decision. The battling that was happening down below could still be heard faintly, Serena turned back toward where the sounds were coming from. She thought she heard a human voice now. Clemont must have caught up.

"NO!"

Ash's sudden outcry made Serena jump. She turned to look back at Ash and saw him lying on the ground, once again holding his head with both hands.

"I will not allow this to continue! If there is any evil in this world, it lurks in the hearts of humans! I will purge it with the Great Weapon!"

With that, Ash fell silent and motionless. Serena rolled him on his back. Ash wasn't moving, his eyes were closed. She lowered her ear to his mouth. Relief washed over her as she felt his breathing on her ear.

"Ash...? Serena said. She started to shake Ash, trying to wake him.

The structure in front of Serena glowed brightly, and a deep rumble could be heard from within. The Great Weapon was activating but Serena didn't care for that now. Serena's eyes were already dry from the tears earlier, but she summoned new ones as she shook Ash, her love.

The structure doors opened, and Malamar came out. Serena payed no attention to the pokemon. She sat Ash up, cradling him in her arms; his head on her chest, one of his hands in hers. She didn't notice the battle below had ended, nor Malamar charging up a Psybeam. She didn't care for that as Malamar launched its attack straight at Serena as she held on to Ash.

Malamar in its rage, had focused all its attention on the woman that almost foiled its plan. It never saw the orange light that came right for it. It flew over Serena and Ash in a flash and intercepted the attack, pushed through and smashed into Malamar sending the Pokemon flying back into the structure.  
Serena looked up and saw Charizard now standing in front of her. It roared at the Pokemon that dared attack its trainer. Charizard's roar was met with a Dark Pulse that came from the structure. Charizard took the attack head on, blocking it with its hands. The attack wasn't letting up so Charizard fired his Flamethrower and started to push the Dark Pulse back. Finally the two attacks exploded in a stalemate.

Charizard looked back at Ash. Its trainer was in the arms of Serena, seemingly unconcious. It took a step toward them, but Serena raised a hand.

"Ash is going to be ok. You need to stop Malamar and destroy the weapon!" She said pointing back into the structure.

Charizard nodded, and flew into the structure. The structure was still glowing red, pulsating faster and stronger as the weapon started up. Serena looked through the opening. She couldn't see Charizard or Malamar but could hear the two pokemon fighting. The roar from Charizard was echoing around Serena, making it deafening. Several explosions shook the structure as they battled.

"Serena...?"

Serena looked around, wondering who had called her name. She felt Ash's hand squeeze hers, which made her jump a little. She looked down and saw Ash looking up at her.

"Ash! You're ok!" Serena gasped. She tightened her hug on Ash as new tears formed in her reddened eyes. But these were different from all the tears before. These were tears of joy.

"Ugh...Serena...can't...breathe..." Ash said in bursts. Serena let go of Ash, a little embarassed of her choking him. Ash coughed as his lungs tried to take in air.

"Thank you Serena, could you help me up?" Ash asked as he started to put his feet under him.

"W-wait Ash! Take it easy." Serena gasped. She was still worried sick of Ash's condition. She remembered her time being mind controlled by Malamar. She had only been under Malamar's control for an hour but once it let go of her mind, she had felt uneasy, barely able to stand.  
"T-There's no...time! Malamar has activated the Great Weapon. We have to stop it!" Ash said as he rose to his feet. Serena holding his arm for support.

Another explosion was heard from the structure, followed by a roar. Ash and Serena looked back at the structure. They could see some fires going on inside.

"Charizard?" Ash asked. Serena told Ash what had happened. After she had told him, Ash started to run toward the structure, but Serena held onto his arm.

"No Ash, its too dangerous!" She begged, holding onto Ash for dear life.

"I have to help Charizard!" Ash shouted back, trying to break free.

"I don't want to lose you again!" Serena yelled, as Ash had broken her grip. However, Ash didn't go. He stayed there, looking back at Serena.

"Serena..." He started, he turned around to face her. She had both hands up to her chest, holding them tight. Ash noticed her blue ribbon wasn't there anymore. It was then he felt something in his hand. He looked down and saw that he was holding her ribbon. A rush of blurred memories flooded back to Ash, almost overwhelming him.

"You...gave this to me...as a symbol of..." He started. He looked back at Serena with widened eyes. He remembered what Serena had said to him.

Serena looked up at Ash, her eyes hopeful. Ash took a step toward Serena, closing the distance between them. They looked into each other's eyes. Both of them had red eyes, one had them from crying, the other from the strain of being mind-controlled. Ash grabbed one of Serena's hands, and lifted it to his chest.

Serena's heart was beating rapidly. In this moment, everything that was happening around them faded away. She was here with Ash, together at last. Could this be the moment she had dreamed of for so long?

But as she thought of this Ash put the ribbon in her hand. A thousand thoughts went through Serena. Had he rejected her? Did he not share the same feelings as she did? Was she just another friend to him? Serena's head lowered as she was trying her best to fight off the waves of emotions. But then Ash took his other hand and lifted her chin, making her look at him again.

"Thank you Serena, thank you so much. I'm about to do something completely reckless and incredibly stupid. It's going to be dangerous, but I need to do this. I need you to stay here and hold on to this for me until I return." He said, but Serena couldn't help but feel devastated that Ash had given her the ribbon. She closed her eyes, fighting off tears that she didn't want.

Those feelings disappeared as Ash did something Serena had only dreamed of. Before she knew it, she felt his lips on hers. She opened her eyes, she had to see it to believe it. It took her a second to realize this was all true. Ash had kissed her.

As she returned the kiss, she felt weightless. All the restless nights, the wondering, the doubts, the fear that Ash wouldn't feel the same to her had disappeared. They were all replaced with pure joy, happiness. The feeling was exhilarating. She never expected that this was how it was going to happen. Serena had hoped their first kiss was under a tree on some hill overlooking a lake or forest at sunset, but she didn't care. She was finally kissing Ash.

As Serena lost herself in the joy. Ash broke the kiss and ran towards the structure. Serena stood there paralyzed with emotions. With one hand she held the ribbon close to her heart. With the other she felt her lips, still not entirely believing that they had kissed. Her cheeks were on fire, her chest burning, and her legs were weak.

"Serena!" A voice shouted behind her. It shook Serena out of her trance. She looked back and saw Clemont there, hands on his knees gasping for air. With him were all their Pokemon. Greninja was holding Pikachu in its arms. The little eletric pokemon had fainted. Next to Clemont was his Luxray. It was carrying her Braixen on its back who had also fainted. There was also Talonflame and her Sylveon. Bonnie came up behind them. She was holding Bunnelby, who looked hurt but was still conscious.

As Clemont caught his breath, he looked up past Serena and noticed the large structure behind her. The structure had stopped pulsating, but instead gave off a ever increasing glow of red. The rumbling that was felt underneath had gotten stronger as well to the point that the ground started to shake a bit.  
"What the heck is that? Where's Ash?!" Clemont said as he ran up to Serena. She explained what had happened, and how Charizard had saved them. She left out the part of her and Ash kissing. As she finished her story with Ash running into the structure a bright light burned from inside the structure. All of them looked but the light was too strong. They shielded their eyes as it grew brighter. They heard a powerful roar from inside and then the unthinkable happened.

The structure in front of them imploded and collapsed in on itself.

"ASH!"

 _ **Authors note: So...yeah. Cliffhanger much? For those who don't remember, Ash and company ran into Malamar in XY episode 19: "Conspiracy to Conquer"**_

 _ **So Serena finally confessed her feelings to Ash. Not the setting she would have liked it, but nonetheless Ash found out the truth. Serena wasn't going to leave. Not only that but she did in fact love him. But Ash begin Ash, he knew what had to be done. He went after Malamar to help his Charizard.**_

 _ **Oh, and the reason for Ash knowing about Malamar's past is that while Malamar saw into Ash's mind, so did Ash look into Malamar's mind.**_


	16. Chapter 16: The Great Weapon

**Chapter 16: The Great Weapon**

Ash's mind was free. Sure Malamar's grasp over his mind was broken, but there was something else. As he ran into the structure, the flood of memories that happened when he was under Malamar's control were still pouring in on him.

 _ **Serena was never going to leave me...**_

Ash felt a small hint of annoyance that Serena hadn't told him earlier, but that feeling was overwhelmed by his relief. He had spent almost every waking moment for the past week thinking about this subject. Ever since that morning of the Finals, he had been wondering if Serena did win, and how she would have to leave them...him. It was only during his intense training that his mind focused on other things.

He had a couple of nightmares during the week as well. They all ended with Serena saying goodbye to Ash as she left him. It wasn't anything that Ash hadn't done before. He had said goodbye to numerous friends in the past. One of the hardest he had to say goodbye to was Brock. He was a great friend, and had been with him for years. If it hadn't been for his wise council, and his amazing cooking, early in his adventure Ash would have never gone as far as he had.

He also said goodbye to Misty, May, and Dawn. Saying his farewell to those three weren't easy. They had become good friends to Ash, mostly May. He saw her as the younger sister he never had. She had started her journey with him and he quickly became a mentor to her, but over time she became one of his best friends.

But none of them had meant as much to him as Serena did. He hated himself for not remembering her when she introduced herself. He may have been dense, but he noticed how disappointed she was. He hadn't thought of her anymore than just a good friend until the day Serena won her first performance. It was the performance after Serena had cut her hair.

After Serena had cut her hair, she was different. Sure the obvious physical change, but her personality changed as well. She was always kind hearted and caring, but she seemed hesitant to do anything outside of her comfort zone. Initially she hated the idea of camping outside, and even most pokemon for that matter. But over time she had gotten used to it.

Those were small changes that happened over time, but when Ash saw her that morning she was different. A familiar fire burned in her eyes, a fire that burned inside himself. Not only that, but Ash liked Serena's new look and had noticed that she had used his present as a part of her appearance; the blue ribbon.

That was when Ash started to feel something deep inside himself. He had no idea what is was at the moment. His oblivious nature made him think he was going down with some kind of sickness or something. But that day, in Dendemille Town, when Serena competed in her second performace was when Ash could no longer ignore these feelings. During the freestyle performance Ash couldn't keep his eyes off of Serena. Even when Pancham and Braixen would do incredible feats with their moves, all Ash would focus on was Serena. She looked amazing.

After the performance, Ash stayed silent while Bonnie and Clemont asked about her dress. She said that she had accidently damaged it, but when she said that she was sorry about ruining the dress from Valerie, Ash chimed in.

"You know...it really looked great on you" Ash complimented. As he said it, he felt his cheeks warming up. Luckily Serena had lowered her eyes and didn't see his blushing. "Oh...t-thank you Ash."

Since that day, his feelings only grew. It was those feelings that made Ash do more for Serena. He went out of his way to help her in her performances. It made Ash protect Serena first whenever Team Rocket had attacked them. It was Serena's depression about Pancham's condition that made Ash call Professor Sycamore about a way to bring Pancham with them. It was his feelings that made him burn inside when Serena sat down next to him in their room the night before they left for Victory Road. How she leaned on him made him so excited, and yet so calm. And finally those feelings that made Ash's heart drop as he thought about what would have happened if Serena did win.

None of those events could measure what had just happened between them though. Ash was overwhelmed by such happiness that the truth was finally out. Not only had Serena told him that she would choose him over being Kalos Queen, but she had confessed to loving him. And without thinking, had done something he never thought he would do several years ago. He had kissed Serena.

Ash wanted to stay there, he really did. It was a feeling of ecstasy kissing Serena. She had returned the kiss, making Ash feel weightless, but there was so much more at stake. He reluctantly pulled away from Serena and rushed into the structure.

As he entered, the room was on fire. He followed the sound of the two Pokemon fighting. It brought him to an open hole in the ground. He jumped down to the lower floor, the spreading fire lighting his way down several pathways. Ash continued, going further down into the structure. Not only was Ash getting closer to the fight, but the rumbling from the structure was getting stronger, shaking his bones. He was nearing the core.

Ash saw an opening to his left. It wasn't a natural opening. Something had plowed through the wall to create this. Ash went up to it and saw his Charizard flying around a massive room that was filled with red light. In the middle was the source of the light. A massive pillar, as tall as a 3-story building. Ash knew what it was. During his time as Malamar's slave he saw this very room. Malamar had said this was the core, the source of the Great Weapon's power. Ash looked towards the base of the pillar and saw the entire floor riddled with more of those blackened roots that were outside the structure.

He looked up again and saw Malamar on top of the pillar. Ash was about halfway up the pillar from his position. He saw his Charizard circling Malamar, occasionly shooting a Flamethrower at the Pokemon. Every time though, Malamar would use it's psychic powers to deflect the flames back at the fire pokemon. Charizard was agile enough to dodge the rebounded attacks, leaving them at a stalemate. However, they could not afford this stalemate. Charizard had to stop Malamar and destroy the core of the weapon before it fired.

Ash shouted at his Charizard, making the pokemon turn. Charizard noticed his trainer, and flew past him. Malamar didn't give Ash much time, but he was able to jump on Charizard's back before a Psybeam had hit them.

"Good work Charizard, we need to destroy the core. Fly lower and attack the base of the pillar. Malamar can't defend itself and the core." Ash said to his Pokemon. Charizard obeyed and lowered out of range from Malamar. It started to fire on the ground surrounding the core, burning all the black roots that connected to the pillar. As Ash had predicted, Malamar had jumped down, flying with its psychic powers towards them.

Charizard saw Malamar coming and dodged its attacks, with Ash holding on. Ash remembered all the times flying with Charizard. It had helped him stay calm and hold on as Charizard dodged Malamar's attacks. Charizard continued to burn the ground, and soon the entire floor was ablaze. They flew higher and started attacking the pillar itself with Flamethrower.

Ash was covering Charizard's rear, watching Malamar as it attacked them from behind. He called out for Charizard to move left, dodging another Dark Pulse. Ash looked back at the front and saw that the manevuer had made them go on a collision course with the pillar itself.  
"Steel Wing!" Ash commanded without hesitating. Charizard's wings glowed white as they zoomed toward the pillar. Charizard was able to move to the right of the pillar, but not without slicing a part of it with it's Steel Wing attack.

"Great work Charizard, that did some real damage!" Ash said looking back at the core. The damage had finally added up. The Steel wing was the final straw, and the pillar started to collapse. Charizard flew up past the top of the pillar, while Ash looked back but Malamar had vanished. Ash looked around to see where the pokemon could have gone.

Ash never saw the attack coming. While they were busy with avoiding the pillar, Malamar had moved below Charizard, and in one fell swoop launched itself up and tackled Charizard, hitting it right in the belly. The sudden shockwave bucked Ash off of Charizard, and he tumbled toward the ground. The ground that was still on fire.

Charizard flew straight down, reaching out trying to reach its trainer before it was too late. For Ash it was all in slow motion. He looked up and saw Charizard racing towards him. He also saw the pillar tumbling down along with him. The Great Weapon was destroyed, they had won...

He reached out with his hand toward Charizard, but his mind went elsewhere. He closed his eyes, his thoughts on Serena; all their moments together. The moment Ash and Serena fell down the cliffside, resulting in Ash's twisted ankle. He saw them in Coumarine City under the Pledging Tree with all their pokemon.

All of Serena's performances flew past Ash, including that dance party. All of their moments, went past Ash until he saw the most recent moment. The moment that had changed everything about him. He saw them kissing each other. That vision stayed for a bit longer, until finally one last memory appeared.

Ash saw a forest. He heard crying, and turned around. It was him and Serena when they were younger. He was tying a small handkerchief to Serena's knee. He saw himself stand up and help Serena up. She got up and stumbled but Ash had caught her, holding her in his arms. This was the moment...everything that had happened was because of this one fateful meeting.

Was he going to die? Was he ever going see Serena again? What would she do if he could no longer be there for her.

Charizard's roar made Ash open his eyes. He looked up and saw Charizard still racing toward him. Was this what they meant when someone's life flashed before one's eyes?

But then a small glint of light appeared in front of him. It was his keystone. It must have fell out of his pocket as he fell. Without thinking he grabbed it before it flew out of reach.

As he grabbed it, a bright flash emitted from it, and Charizard instantly glowed as well. The light was too much so he closed his eyes. Ash hoped beyond hope that Charizard could save him. He was prepared to die, but he didn't want to go. He didn't want to leave Serena when they had experienced so much together. Charizard gave one last roar. The roar was deafening, louder than ever before, but Ash wasn't listening. He only had one word in his thoughts.

 _ **Serena...**_

Charizard had turned pure white, and as its light grew brighter flew faster than a Pigeot. It snatched Ash mere feet away from the flames and soared back up. The core had collapsed, and Malamar had fled. The structure above them had collapsed, and the fire from Charizard had spread throughout it.

Ash opened his eyes. He was laying on top of a Pokemon that was glowing white. As he pushed himself up, Charizard's light faded. Ash saw that Charizard was still orange. He thought that Charizard still hadn't mega evolved, but then he noticed something else. Charizard's head now had three spikes, one of them nearly two feet long. Ash looked to his side. Charizard's wings had almost doubled in size. Finally he looked back, and saw that Charizard's tail had grown in length as well as growing serrated spikes.

"Charizard...you mega evolved" Ash said in awe, but he was confused. When he had battled Alain and his Charizard it had turned black and blue. This must have been what Professor Sycamore had meant. Ash's megastone was a Charizardite, but it emitted a different power than a normal Charizardite and so his Charizard had mega evolved into something different.

This great moment was interupted by another explosion. Ash looked around and saw that the core room was about to collapse. "Lets get out of here partner!" Ash said. Mega Charizard gave a great roar and flew straight for the opening that Ash had entered from.

The acceleration was so great that Ash almost fell off Mega Charizard. The bigger wings gave Mega Charizard incredible power behind each flap. It flew through the opening and started navigating the large hallways, sometimes landing and folding its wings to continue.

The situation was getting worse. The structure was barely standing and Ash couldn't find a way out. Mega Charizard stopped and turned its head so it could see Ash. Ash looked into Mega Charizard's eyes wondering what it was thinking. It then looked up and gave a small snarl. Ash looked up and understood what his pokemon meant.

Ash lowered himself closer to Mega Charizard and held on with all his strength. Mega Charizard raised its wings and in one gust had gained 20 feet in the air. Ash held on, as Mega Charizard flew straight up. Ash could hear Mega Charizard roar, he opened his eyes and saw Mega Charizard fire a Flamethrower more powerful than Ash thought possible. It shattered the ceiling that they were rapidly approaching and before Ash knew it, they flew through the hole that Mega Charizard made.

Mega Charizard continued to fire its massive Flamethrower as they rose higher and higher until finally they burst through the final collapsed ceiling.

"ASH?!"

Ash had his eyes closed trying to protect himself from the dust. But when he had heard his name, his heart jumped.

"Serena!" He cried out, looking around for her. He found her where he had left her, but now she was joined by Clemont, Bonnie and all of their pokemon. Mega Charizard went over and landed in front of the crowd as they gasped in awe of its new form.

"Is that...Charizard?" Clemont asked. But before anyone could respond, the ground shook making everyone but Mega Charizard and Greninja lose their footing. It felt like the entire mountian was collapsing.

"There's no time, everyone return!" Ash shouted as he pulled Talonflame back into its Pokeball. Serena and Clemont returned their pokemon as well. Braixen and Pikachu were still unconscious. Greninja jumped up to Ash and gave him Pikachu before Ash returned Greninja to its pokeball. Ash held Pikachu in its arms. It was hurt and unconscious, but Greninja had knocked it out without any unneccesary harm.

"Everyone climb on! We got to get out of here!" Ash shouted as the mountain continued to crumble around them. Clemont helped Serena up. As she got up, she took Ash's hand and sat down behind him. Without thinking she wrapped her arms around Ash and gave him a kiss on the cheek. She looked back down and saw Clemont raising Bonnie up. She took Bonnie's hand and she sat behind Serena. Finally Clemont climbed on, and sat behind Bonnie.

Normally, Charizard would have had trouble carrying anything more than Ash and Serena on its back. But in its new form as Mega Charizard its size and power had increased immensely. It was big enough for the 4 friends to sit on its back, and due to its great wing span, it had plenty of power to carry them.

On Ash's command, Mega Charizard stood up and flapped its massive wings. Even with the extra weight, it still only took one gust to lift itself in the air. Mega Charizard went slower then it normally did. Not because of the extra weight, but to keep its extra passengers from falling off. It also was watching for any falling rocks that could hit them.

Clemont was covering Bonnie, protecting her from anything that could hit her. Bonnie was holding on to Serena, as she looked around. Even though they were in grave danger, she was still amazed at how awesome Charizard had become. Serena was hugging Ash around the waist and digging her head into the back of his shoulder. Like Bonnie, even while in grave danger, she couldn't help but think of other things.

She thought she had lost Ash again. When the structure had collapsed, she herself collapsed on her knees. She had buried her face in her hands as she thought that her love was now lost to her. Those minutes had been an eternity. Toward the end, Clemont approached her and begged her to get up. The place had started to shake uncontrollably and he had feared they were going to be crushed by the mountain.

But once again, against all odds Ash had returned to her again. She felt overjoyed that Ash was safe and now she never wanted to let him go. Serena wasn't scared anymore of the impeding danger, but instead was happy that she could hold Ash once more.

Ash was looking straight ahead. He was looking for a way out. But as Serena tightened her grip around his waist, a warm wave of emotion filled him. He was with Serena again. Unlike Serena, this feeling made him focus more on the matter at hand. He didn't want Serena in any danger, and he was going to get her out safely.

After some narrow misses and maneuvers that almost made Clemont fall off, Ash saw sunlight to his right. He tapped Mega Charizard and pointed to their exit. Mega Charizard turned and rushed straight for the light. As they came closer to the exit, even Ash closed his eyes.

Even with his eyes closed, the light filled his vision as it pierced through his eyelids. He slowly opened them as Mega Charizard gave out a mighty roar. Being inside and in darkness for so long had made him sensitive to the sunlight. The others didn't fair much better, facing away from the sun keeping their eyes shut tight.

Ash opened his eyes completely first. He looked down and saw the mountain beneath them. All around the mountain he could see the dust rising from everywhere. Some of the trees had fallen over and rock slides could be seen from several places. He looked over on the other side and saw a large flat area near the top of the mountain. He pointed at the clearing, and Mega Charizard flew towards it.

As they landed, the shaking had stopped. The dust had settled and the mountain grew still once more. Clemont got off first, and had to release some nausea from his stomach. Bonnie sat down, glad she was on solid ground again, but she looked at Mega Charizard with awe.

Ash helped Serena off, and as they both got off, Mega Charizard glowed and reverted back to his normal Charizard form. Bonnie was disappointed that Charizard had changed, but she still rushed up to him and hugged him.

"You were so awesome Charizard! Thank you so much!" She said laughing with joy. Ash looked over at Clemont. He didn't look so well, but Ash knew his condition would fade soon.

A finger poked Ash on top of his shoulder. He turned around and before he knew it Serena had kissed me, wrapping her hands around his neck. Ash was taken aback from Serena's sudden movement, but it only took him a second to recover. He returned the kiss and wrapped his free arm around Serena's lower back. Pikachu was still unsconcious in Ash's other arm but Serena had made sure she didn't squish the little pokemon from her embrace with Ash.

Their embrace was unnoticed by Bonnie or Clemont. Bonnie was busy tending to her Dedenne who was covered in dust. Clemont was still on the ground facing away from them. After releasing each other both Ash and Serena blushed a deep red. Ash looked over at the others. They kept close, but they had to attend to their Pokemon.

After regaining his composure, Clemont began treating Pikachu of its injuries. As he did that, Ash took out his Talonflame and Greninja, and Serena took out her Braixen and Sylveon. Braixen too was unconscious from its battle with Talonflame. Serena was treating her Pokemon, but always stayed close to Ash. She was determined to never lose him again.

As they treated their pokemon, a faint humming could be heard. Charizard made a small noise. Everyone looked to see where Charizard was looking at and saw a white helicopter overhead. It was circling the mountain, but after a rotation it came right for them in the clearing.

They made way as the helicopter came in for landing. They shielded their eyes from the grass that whipped around from the helicopters blades. Bonnie and Clemont hid behind Charizard and its wings. Serena grabbed on to Ash, who was shielding her.

As the helicopter powered down, Ash snuck a look at the helicopter. A person in white had stepped down from the side of the helicopter along with 2 others behind them. Ash recognized the person in white. It was none other but Diantha.

"Diantha?!" Ash cried out, yelling over the sound of the helicopter. Diantha smiled as she continued to walk towards the group. Ash could see the other two now. They were both women as well. One had pink hair and red glasses. The other was an older woman. She had dark hair and had what looked like a bone necklace. Ash didn't recognize them. As the three women came up to the group, the helicopter finally died down.

"Well isn't this a lovely surprise Ash" Diantha said. The other two women looked at Diantha, the older one spoke up, "You know this boy Diantha?" She asked.

Diantha laughed, "Oh yes, I have met him a couple of times over the last couple of months. He's a very powerful trainer." She said, Ash blushed at the champions compliments.

The pink haired woman stepped forward, "If we are done here, we still need to know what happened in Victory Road." She told the champion. Diantha nodded her head, and looked back at Ash.

"Do you know what just happened Ash? We heard reports of some trainers getting lost, but most of them had made it the Pokemon League. And now...well this last hour has been something else." She said.

Ash told them what had happened, with Serena and Clemont interupting a couple times to tell what had happened to them when they were separated from each other. Ash left out the part of Charizard mega evolving and of course his and Serena's revelation and kiss. During his story, a Talonflame and Noivern landed next to the two other ladies. The two took out a pokeball each and the pokemon disappeared in a red light as they returned to their pokeballs.

"So you've met this Malamar before?" Diantha asked as Ash finished his account of what happened. The group nodded their head. Diantha looked at the ground, in thought.

"Malva, alert the gym leaders across the region, along with the other champions. Tell them to look out for Malamar and any mysterious disappearings in their areas. If Malamar escaped the destruction of this...Great Weapon, then it will certainly try to build another." Diantha told the Pink haired woman.

"Malva?" Clemont asked, but then gasped as he remembered the name. "You're one of the Elite Four of Kalos!" He said. Ash looked at Malva with shock. Diantha laughed, "Oh my, I forgot to introduce you all to these two. Well yes, this is Malva and the other lady is Drasna, she's another member of the Elite Four." The group gasped, they were in the presence of two Elite Four members without knowing.

Bonnie scooted past Clemont, "But where are the other two?" She asked. "Oh they're back at the Pokemon League keeping order. This whole ordeal has gotten a lot of people flustered and scared." Diantha explained.

Diantha looked down at Bonnie, she was holding Pikachu who was still unconscious. "Oh my, what happened to your Pikachu." She asked worried. Ash told Diantha that Pikachu and Braixen had been under Malamar's influence as well and were injured during their battle with Ash's other pokemon.

Diantha told them they could get proper treatment back at a Pokemon Center at the Pokemon League. She escorted them to the helicopter. As they entered, Ash returned Charizard to its pokeball.

The helicopter took off, and they were on their way to the Pokemon League. On one side sat Diantha, Malva, and Drasna. On the other sat Serena, Ash, Bonnie, and Clemont. Serena was resting her head on Ash's shoulder, and was petting Pikachu's head as it lay in Ash's arm. Diantha thought nothing of it, they had been through a lot and those two were good friends anyway. Still, she smiled at them.

After a short 5 minute ride, they were flying over the site of the Pokemon League. In the middle of the area was a large stadium with an open roof. Surrounding the stadium on one side were 5 other smaller stadiums that were also open. On the other side of the main stadium were several smaller buildings. There must have been over a dozen of them. Two of them had a blue roof. There was a large building in the middle of them that had a red roof. This was the Pokemon Center, but it was twice the size any Pokemon Center Ash had seen before. It was big enough to have it's own helipad and that was where they were headed.

As they got closer Diantha told them, they should get off here. She, along with her Elite Four were going to have a press conference in the next hour to notify the public of what had transpired. Ash looked out the side as they were about to land. He could see two Nurse Joy with a Wigglytuff standing by with a stretcher.

When they landed, Ash and Serena went over to them. Ash gave Wiggytuff his Pikachu, which it put on stretcher. Wiggytuff and one of the Nurse Joy pushed the stretcher to the elevator on the far end of the roof. Serena took out her pokeball containing Braixen and gave it to the other Nurse Joy.

"Don't worry, we'll take good care of them." Nurse Joy said as she entered the elevator. It was a massive hospital elevator so Ash, Serena, Clemont and Bonnie were able to ride the elevator too. As the door began to close, Ash looked at the helicopter as it started to take off. Diantha gave a quick wave to Ash as it left.

The elevator went down to the bottom floor, and the Nurse Joy went with Pikachu and Braixen's pokeball to the right. Wigglytuff pointed to the left. The group followed Wigglytuff's hand and saw the exit to the main lobby. Wigglytuff gave Ash and Serena encouraging words, even though they couldn't understand what it was saying exactly. It then ran after the two Nurse Joy and joined them.

"Well, all we can do now is wait I guess." Clemont said. The other three nodded and stepped out into the main lobby. They sat down at a booth near the door to the E.R.

Ash and Serena sat together facing the door. Clemont went and grabbed everyone some water. They took sips of water. They were severely dehydrated from today's events. But they couldn't think about that now. Right now they were worried sick about Pikachu and Braixen. All they could do was wait...


	17. Chapter 17: Aftermath

**Chapter 17: Aftermath**

 **Prologue: So Ash and company have successfully escaped from Victory Road, but what about everyone else? They had ran into several hidded figures that were under Malamar's control. The group awaits word of Pikachu and Braixen when more and more people and Pokemon are rushed in to the Pokemon Center for medical treatment.**

 **Author's note: This is probably my longest chapter, enjoy!**

Over the next hour, the group didn't really speak to one another. The Pokemon Center was in a constant rush. Every five minutes, a new trainer or ambulance would arrive seeking medical attention for an injured pokemon or person. These were all the victims that had been affected by Malamar's plan. Most of them were covered in dust, with some of them even being unconscious. Some of the people had been complaining of headaches but didn't recall anything after they had entered Victory Road.

Clemont had excused himself and started helping the Nurse Joy staff with his inventory of potions and berries. Bonnie wanted to help as well, but Clemont told his little sister to stay with Ash and Serena. Normally Bonnie would have complained about not being involved, irritated that her brother didn't want her to help, but with all that had happened today all she did was nod and sat back down.

Serena was looking around at the chaos. Almost a hundred people had packed into the lobby of the Pokemon Center. Every person she saw had an expression that haunted her. They were scared, confused, crying, and holding on to their pokemon that didn't need medical care. Serena was sure that all of them had no idea what had just happened to them, and what had almost happened.

She glanced back at the E.R door. A couple of times it had opened and the three of them had all turned, hoping to see Pikachu or Braixen on their feet. But every time Nurse Joy would call someone else up. After another trainer had been called up, Serena looked next to her. Ash hadn't said a word the entire time since they arrived at the Pokemon Center.

Ash had been fighting the wave of emotions that rushed over him. They had stopped Malamar from destroying the Kalos region, but the experience had left Ash shaken. If it hadn't been for Charizard and the rest of his pokemon, Malamar would have for sure succeeded in its plan. If it hadn't been for Serena...

Ash's mind went to one very specific memory.

Not when he had kissed Serena, or when she gave him the blue ribbon. It was a moment that had haunted him. He had hit Serena. Ash kept on reliving that memory. Malamar had taken control of his mind, but what Ash had said about Clemont, Bonnie, and Serena had to come from somewhere. Deep down Ash knew that a part of what he had said under Malamar's control was true.

When Serena was talking to him in Victory Road outside the structure that held the Great Weapon, he had begun to regain his mind. He saw Serena walking towards him as he stood before the structure. He wanted to call out to her, of the dangers and peril that she was in, but all he could do was watch. He had no control over his body and had to watch in agony as he saw his hand strike Serena.

He never wanted to hit Serena, he knew that. But he had been frustrated that Serena hadn't told him that little detail of being Kalos Queen. He had been distraught of what Serena thought of him. She had been so eager at the Finals, that Ash was beginning to believe that she wanted to be Kalos Queen more than to be travelling with him. It was selfish for him to think like that. He didn't want to get between Serena and her dream, but he didn't want to say goodbye...

 _ **Humanity's true nature is evil...**_

Ash had been watching his glass of water the entire time, not moving. Only looking up occasionally to see if Pikachu was the one coming out of the E.R door. Serena tried talking to him, but he didn't say anything more than a grunt.

It had just passed an hour since they had been at the Pokemon Center. The sun had retreated under the horizon as the last rays of light were lingering in the ever darkening skies. Another tone rang throughout the lobby of the Pokemon Center and once again Ash, Serena, and Bonnie looked at the E.R door.

"Pika Pi!"

A Nurse Joy was pushing a stretcher out the door and on it was Pikachu, conscious and healthy. Serena and Bonnie cried out, thankful that their little friend was alright. Ash didn't say anything, but rushed over to his friend. Pikachu jumped off the stretcher and ran to its trainer and friend, jumping into his arms.

Serena looked over at the stretcher. There was also a pokeball on it.  
"Your Braixen is all better as well miss" Nurse Joy commented to Serena. She picked it up and gave it to Serena who accepted it.

"Thank you so much Nurse Joy." Serena said. She grabbed the pokeball and released Braixen from inside it. The fire fox pokemon jumped into Serena's arms and they both fell to the ground crying tears of joy.

Clemont had heard the commotion and joined his friends in welcoming back Pikachu and Braixen. Nurse Joy gave them a nod and returned back to through the E.R door. There were still dozens of pokemon that needed her help.

"I'm so glad your safe Pikachu" Ash said. Serena stopped what she was doing. This was the first thing Ash had said for the past hour. She led Braixen to Ash and Pikachu and sat down next to them on the floor. Bonnie joined in along with Clemont so they made a small circle.

"It's all thanks to you Ash." Clemont said. Ash looked down at Pikachu. He wasn't the reason, far from it. It was because of him that he couldn't protect everyone from Malamar and got himself under Malamar's control.

"It wasn't me" Ash said in a lowered voice.

From Ash and Serena, several Pokemon popped out of their pokeballs on their own. There was both Sylveon and Pancham from Serena. There was also Greninja, Hawlucha, and Talonflame from Ash. They all huddled together, happy that their friends were alright.

Serena looked around at all of them together. "It was all of us. Working together, and finding a way. We...you never gave up Ash. You fought Malamar's control and beat it. Then you and Charizard were able to defeat Malamar and destroy the Great Weapon." She said, trying to raise Ash's spirit. Clemont and Bonnie nodded their heads in approval along with the other pokemon.

"Hey look! It's Diantha!" Someone shouted. The group sprang to their feet. "Isn't she suppose to be at the Pokemon League making an announcement?" Serena asked.

They all looked and noticed that a crowd had gathered in front of several monitors. On the monitors was an emergency broadcast of a press conference. Behind a podium was the champion, Diantha, and to her left were 4 other people. Ash recognized Malva and Drasna among them, and guessed the two men were the other members of the Elite Four.

"I'm sure you are all wondering what exactly happened today so I'll get right to it. However once I am done, I will not be taking any questions."

Diantha started. Ash went over to the monitors to hear what Diantha had to say. He was followed by Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie along with their pokemon.

"Over the past several days, we have had reports of increased activity in the wild pokemon that resided in Victory Road. This was not unusual. There have been times that the pokemon would fight each other over territory or food, but it was never anything out of the ordinary. The day before we opened Victory Road for all our participants in the upcoming tournament, was when the activity rose to its highest, and then suddenly dropped when Victory Road was opened."

"As the participants entered Victory Road, some of them were attacked while others passed through unharmed. And before you ask, we had recorded 60 participants to have entered Victory Road with another 72 people that had accompanied them. So far, we have accounted 140 out the 142 people to have made it to Pokemon Village. We have over a hundred people and pokemon searching Victory Road for the remaining two unaccounted for. Now for those responsible to what happened. Thanks to the intel from several pokemon trainers that were there..."

Ash tensed up. Would Diantha tell the world what had really happened?

"...This was all orchestrated by one individual with several powerful Psychic Pokemon. They used their Pokemon to control several of the participants and their pokemon against their will. However; due to the heroic actions of several trainers, they were able to stop the suspect and free the others from their control. Unfortunatily the suspect fled in the chaos, and is still at large."

The reporters in front of Diantha started to ask questions, but she raised one hand silencing them. Ash sighed in relief. He knew the world was not ready to know that it was at the brink of destruction.

"I have contacted the authorities from around Kalos, and the neighboring regions all the intel we have on the suspect. For security reasons I cannot tell you the identity of the suspect, and for their safety I cannot tell you the identity of the trainers who stopped the suspect. Know that we are doing everything in our power to bring the suspect responsible to justice."  
The trainers around Ash began to whisper to each other. They wondered who could have done this, and who these trainers were.

"For you who are wondering if we are cancelling the tournament...we are not. The tournament will continue as planned, 4 days from now. For any participants that have not made the trip through Victory Road yet will be flown in on helicopter for obvious safety reasons."

One of the men behind Diantha walked off to the left, and then a moment later walked back into the picture and gave Diantha a piece of paper.  
"Hmm...well that is good news. I can confirm that the last two people lost in Victory Road have been rescued, and they are safe with no severe injuries."

Serena, who was standing beside Ash gave a sigh of relief. "Oh thank goodness, that's a relief." Diantha continued.

"We will tighten security around Pokemon League Village. As Champion, and coordinator of this years Kalos League Tournament, I will be initiating a curfew that starts tonight, and will continue for the remainder of the tournament. No one, except tournament officials may be outside between the hours of 10pm and 4am. Any participant caught in violation of this will automatically be disqualified from the tournament, and be escorted down the mountian."

This was extreme for everyone, but Ash and his friends knew the truth, and believed this was in the best interest of everyone. Malamar was still at large, and was a very serious threat. With that, Diantha walked out of sight followed by her Elite Four.

With that Ash looked at the clock, and it read 7:06pm. Clemont tapped both Ash and Serena on the shoulder. "Hey guys, since we are all set with our pokemon. We should go find our rooms." He said to the two. Ash and Serena agreed, and they went up to the front desk where another Nurse Joy was.

"Hey Nurse Joy, I was wonder where our room was at?" Ash asked the Nurse.

"Well of course, do you have any pokemon in the infirmary or E.R?" She asked them.

"Uh...no, not anymore." Ash said. Nurse Joy nodded, and started typing on her computer.

"May I see your Pokedex?" She asked, and Ash gave it to her. She inserted it into a Pokedex reader.

"Ok, Ash Ketchum, 3 guests...You will be staying at Building E, room 103. Just wait right here while I get your keys." Nurse Joy explained. She gave Ash back his Pokedex and went through the door behind her. She soon came back with two keys.

"Here are your keys for your room. If you walk outside, building E will be the second building on your right. There will be a big white letter E, on each side." Nurse Joy explained as she gave both keys to Ash.

"Thank you Nurse Joy" Clemont said, "Is...there anything else I can help with?" He asked. Nurse Joy smiled, "Oh no, we should be fine. Thank you. We will give you a reciept for all the potions and berries you gave us. You can go to any of the Poke Marts here and they will refund you all the supplies you have so graciously given to us." She said.

They all thanked Nurse Joy again, and left the Pokemon Center. It was a short walk and their building was hard to miss. There was a large white "E" on the side of their building. They entered, and looked for their room. It was down the main hallway on the first floor, the 3rd door on the left.

Ash used one of his keys and unlocked the door. Inside was a large room. To their left was a small kitchen you would see in an apartment. Straight ahead was a living room with a couch and two chairs all facing a T.V that was on the other side of the room.

"Uh...where are the beds?" Bonnie asked, as she saw the room.

"Behind this door maybe?" Serena said, as she unlocked the door the was to her right. She looked inside but only saw one bed.

"Wha...?! There's only one bed?" She gasped. Did they get the wrong room? Clemont laughed, and pointed at three other doors that connected with the main room. "You see, there are 4 bedrooms that are connected to this main room. Two on this side, and two on the other. And it looks like there's a bathroom that connects each pair of bedrooms."

Serena gave a sigh of relief. She didn't want to sleep on a couch or in her sleeping bag on the ground. After today's events she really needed a soft bed to lay down in. Bonnie scooted past Serena, and jumped on the bed.  
"Well I call this room!" She said, Dedenne popped out of her pouched and agreed with her.

"Then I'll grab the room next to you Bonnie. We'll share a bathroom" Clemont said as he took of his bag and set in down on the couch.

"I guess Ash and I will take the other two then" Serena said. She walked over to the near door and opened it, revealing an identical bedroom. She looked back and saw Ash was still in the doorway. Pikachu had hopped down from his shoulder and was playing with Bonnie and Dedenne in their room.

Ash walked over to Clemont, "Here Clemont, you should have the spare key." He told him as he offered one of the keys. "Oh, ok. Yeah." Clemont said. He grabbed some stuff out of his bag and headed for the kitchen.

"I'll be making us some dinner. I'm sure you all are starving, we kind of missed two meals already." He said as he prepared some food. Serena and Bonnie agreed from their rooms as they were unpacking, but Ash was in a trance as he sat down on the couch. After awhile Pikachu jumped up on his lap, wondering what the matter was. Pikachu didn't get an answer, but was met with a faint smile and some scratching behind its ear, which it always loved.

After a couple of minutes, the smell of cooking food was too much for Ash. His stomach finally won over his mind. He got up and looked to see what Clemont was cooking. Bonnie had finished playing and was anxiously awaiting for their meal. Serena was in the shower. Ash looked down at his clothing. He hadn't noticed, but he was really dirty as well. There was dirt caked on his elbows, and his shirt was really faded.

Ash walked into his bedroom, and found a mirror on one of the walls. He looked at himself, and half gasped, half laughed at what he saw. Almost every part of his clothing was either dirty, torn, or faded by today's events. His face wasn't that much better, but his sweat had washed some of it off, making semi-clean streaks down his face. He also had cuts and bruises, mainly around his forearms and knees. He saw his eyes, and noticed how red they were, dry and irritated by the stress of what had happened. He looked deeper into his eyes.

 _ **Humanity's true nature is evil...**_

Malamar's words kept echoing in his mind. With every ounce of will he tried to push that thought out. Trying to make himself believe that Malamar's words were false, but every time he thought he won, the thought would come back.

The shower had turned off. Serena had finished her shower and she was now in her room getting dressed. Ash was about to take his shower. A way for him to not only clean himself literally, but to clean his mind as well.

"Dinner's ready!" Clemont said, followed by a cheer from Bonnie.

"Ok, give me a minute!" Serena said from her room.

"Pika?" Ash looked down and saw Pikachu at the doorway to his room. His stomach growled which made himself smile a bit. "I guess I have to tend to my stomach first." He said as he walked out.

After the meal, they all thanked Clemont for a delicious meal. It was nothing extraordinary, but due to the day they had, it made the meal that much better. They all cleaned up, and met back in the living room. "I guess we'll call it a night then. We only have an hour and a half before this curfew so we can't do much tonight." Clemont said. Bonnie gave a yawn, agreeing with her brother. Serena had changed into her pajamas which told them her answer was sleep as well.

"I'm going to take a quick shower, then i'm off to bed." Ash said. They all said their goodnights and went into their own bedrooms. Ash took out his towel as he prepared for his shower. Pikachu had already jumped up on the bed and laid claim to one of the pillows.

After 10 minutes everyone was asleep as Ash stepped out of the shower and slipped into bed. He had cleaned his body, but his mind was still occupied with a million thoughts. Once he rested his head on his pillow, his exhaustion overcame his mind and he fell asleep.

"I'm not leaving you!"

 _ **If she comes any closer Ash, I'll make her pay...**_

"Stop right there!"

 _ **No! I can't let you do that!**_

 _ **You have shown great determination in fighting me Ash, but I won't be stopped...**_

"The weapon must be complete!"

 _ **Do you know why you can't quite beat me Ash? It's because a part of you believes this is the right thing to do.**_

 _ **You're wrong...**_

 _ **Oh really?**_

"I don't care about that Ash, I care about you."

 _ **Oh look...you didn't stop her from getting any closer. Now I may have to hurt her...**_

 _ **No you won't!**_

 _ **If I'm wrong about you...then stop me.**_

 _ **NO**_!

Ash woke up in a cold sweat. He was gasping for air as if he just ran a marathon. His hands were shaking as if he was just in the snow. Ash looked around and remembered where he was. He had hoped that sleeping would grant him peace from that moment. The moment where he had failed, not only himself, but also Serena.

When Serena had told him the truth about the Finals, it "woke" Ash up. He could see what his body was doing but couldn't control it. Serena did her part, but Ash felt that he had failed her.

"I was there, I could have stopped him there and then, but I didn't. Malamar...I hit Serena" Ash whispered to himself. "When everything was at stake, I wasn't strong enough."

Ash looked over and saw Pikachu; still fast asleep next to him. Ash's throat was dry, so quietly he got out of bed and went for the kitchen. He got himself a glass of water and sat down on the couch in the living room.

 _ **Humanity's true nature is evil...**_

Ash finished the rest of his water. He looked at the clock on the wall, it read 2:37am. Due his nightmare, Ash's adreneline had kicked in a bit, and now he felt like he couldn't go back to sleep. So he went over to the kitchen again and filled his glass with more water. Ash went over to the couch again, unable to shake Malamar's words from his mind.

"Ash?"

Ash looked from the couch and saw Serena standing in her doorway scratching the sleep from her eyes.

"What are you doing up so early?" She asked.

"Oh, sorry if I woke you. I just...couldn't sleep that's all." Ash replied, looking back at his water.

"I have some sleep medicine in my bag if you want?" Serena asked, pointing back in her room.

"No thank you, I don't want to go back to sleep." Ash said still not looking up at Serena.

"But you said...did you have a bad dream Ash?" Serena said as she walked over to Ash. He didn't answer as she sat down next to him.

"Did you have a nightmare about yesterday?" Serena questioned as she sat down. Serena sat so close to Ash, that he had to turn his head slightly away from Serena.

"Ash look at me" Serena said, a worried tone in her words. But Ash didn't, he couldn't face her now. Serena was getting really worried. Ash had never been...like this. As she was about to reach her arm around him, a thought came into her mind.

"Ash, we need to stop this. We can't continue like this." Serena said. Ash didn't look, but she had definitely got his attention.

"When I didn't tell you about the finals it created a rift between us. We didn't know what the other was thinking, and I was hurting you. That made you not tell me about the night you went to go talk to Professor Sycamore, and that hurt me, since I didn't know what you were doing." Serena explained. Ash wasn't looking at her, but she saw he was listening.

"You see...if we continue to not talk to each other, if we continue to keep secrets, we're just going to hurt each other more. So please tell me what's bothering you Ash" Serena said, almost begging in her voice. Ash turned, but still didn't raise his eyes to Serena.

"What...Malamar said earlier, do you think he's right?" Ash asked.

"About what?" Serena asked, as she tried to remember exactly what Ash was referencing. "That all humans are evil?" She said, Ash nodded.

"Do you think I'm evil Ash?" Serena asked, but Ash didn't respond. "What about Bonnie, or Clemont? Are we bad people? Or Professor Sycamore, Korrina, or the hundreds of people you helped Ash...Do you think you're evil?" Serena said, almost angry that Ash could think like that. Ash was about to answer, but Serena interrupted.

"Because I KNOW you're not a bad person. You're the kindest, caring, most GOOD person I know. How could you think Malamar was even close to being right?" Serena said with a slight tone, though her words were caring.

"But I hit you Serena..." Ash said, his eyes watering but not yet producing tears.

"That wasn't you, that was Malamar" Serena responded.

"Maybe...but I was there Serena. I could see everything and Malamar...he told me that a part of me was evil. I told him he was wrong, but He said that if I really wasn't evil, that I could stop him...stop me from hitting you." Ash said, fighting back his guilt. Serena had enough of it. She put her hand on his cheek and moved his face so he was looking at her.

"You're not evil! Malamar was controlling you, he was the one that hit me not you." Serena said as she looked into Ash's eyes. "You're a good man..."

Ash looked into Serena's eyes. He could see the worry in her eyes. He didn't want to hurt her anymore. He turned away, but only to drink the rest of his water.

"Why did you kiss me?"

Ash almost spilled his water. Did Serena really ask that or did he imagine it. He looked over, and saw Serena looking down at her legs. Ash sat there with wide eyes and an open mouth.

"I mean...don't you remember when I gave you the blue ribbon?" Serena asked.

"Of course" Ash mustered, still in shock.

"Then you remember what I said..." Serena trailed off, still looking at her legs. Ash could see she was tense, almost rigged.

"You told me, that it was a symbol of...your love for me." Ash said, whispering the last part. Serena looked back at Ash, meeting his gaze.

"So why did you kiss me?" She asked, her eyes on the verge of tears, but Ash saw something else...hope.

Ash knew the answer. Serena had basically confessed her feelings twice now. But something was keeping him from expressing his feelings. It had been a spur of the moment when he kissed Serena, but now...he didn't know what to do.

If we continue to not talk to each other, if we continue to keep secrets, we're just going to hurt each other more...

What Serena had said earlier, popped into Ash's mind. With that he made up his mind. He took a breath, and chose to believe in Serena and not Malamar.

"Becuase...as we began our journey together I saw you as a good friend. I've travelled with several girls that became great friends, and saw you as just the same." Ash started. "But as we continued on our journey, something happened. I started see you as more than just a friend. Every time you smiled, something would burn inside of me, but in a good way...more like in a great way." Ash corrected.

"When you competed in your first performance, I was so excited for you. I could see your determination in your eyes. But when Fennekin tripped, and you were there on stage I was scared you were going to give up there." Ash continued. Serena looked down, remembering that time where she was at one of her lowest. Ash lifted her chin so she could see him. Her eyes widened to see that Ash was smiling now.

"But you didn't...you came back the next morning, and you were different. In more ways than one." Ash said with a faint laugh.

"Did you like my haircut?" Serena asked. Ash put his hand down from her chin.

"I did. Not that I didn't like your hair before. It's just...I felt like your shorter hair brought out your eyes more." Ash said. Serena who had been blushing the whole time, now burned a crimson red.

"My eyes?" She asked, trying hard to not to sound to excited.

"And when I saw the ribbon I gave you as a part of your dress, I..." Ash trailed off, Serena looked back up at Ash waiting for him to continue.

"I thought you were the prettiest girl I had ever seen. I mean, your hair, eyes, and your smile. I never saw anything like it before." Ash confessed. Serena was screaming with joy internally, but she kept her composure somehow. "I'm sorry that it took me so long to realize this. You see, I'm not really good at this sort of thing. I guess you could call me..."

"Dense?" Serena said interupting Ash with a giggle.

Ash laughed back, "Yeah I guess you can call me that. You know when I truly knew my feelings?"

Ash's question caught Serena off guard as she was still giggling. She stopped, and thought about what Ash was thinking about.

"I don't know Ash" Serena answered after a moment.

"During your Final's performance." Ash's answer made Serena confused. What did Ash mean by that?

"You were so beautiful, and...and that was when I was still under the impression that if you had won, you would have to leave." Ash said, Serena looked down, guilty that she hadn't told him that day.

"I'm sorry Ash..." She said, but Ash shook his head.

"It's in the past Serena, I forgive you." Serena looked up and saw Ash smiling at her.

"You see..." Ash continued, "It was at that time, when I thought I was going to lose you when I found out the truth."

Serena tilted her head, her eyes in wonder what this truth was. Ash took a deep breath. Serena took in a quick breath. Was this it?

"The truth is, that day I found out that..."

Serena's entire body froze, waiting for Ash's next words.

"...I love you"

Serena's internal screaming had stopped. She had waited for this moment for as long as she could remember. The crush she had on him since that day at Professor Oak's summer camp had only intensified as she went out to find him after finding out he was in Kalos. That crush soon turned into an infatuation as they went on their journey. Then several months ago, that infatuation had turned into love. She had only dreamed of Ash confessing his feelings to her. She had gone over this moment in her head hundreds of times. Serena had thought of what she would say after their feelings were known to each other, but now...she was speechless.

Ash and Serena looked at each other for almost a minute. Ash was beginning to feel like he had done something wrong, perhaps he had gone too far. Had he misinterpreted Serena's words. When Serena saw Ash's expression change, she naturally did the one thing she wanted to do. She leaned over, almost tackling Ash, and kissed him.

Ash's eyes were surpised, but after a moment he regained his composure and kissed her back. There was no doomsday weapon that needed to be stopped, no distractions. It was just them and they didn't want to separate their locked lips. However, the need for air had to be addressed and finally they stopped. They separated, but stayed within inches of their faces. They both took a breath and looked into each others eyes.

Ash looked at Serena and it was as if he was looking at her for the first time. He found the thought amusing, but it had some truth to it. He had looked at Serena as a stranger, a friend, and now, as something much more. She had changed since they kissed. He stared into her ocean blue eyes, as they sparkled with new life. Her cheeks were red and her smile was more radiant than when she performed. Ash thought it impossible, but Serena had become more beautiful to him and she was still in her pajamas.

Serena had similar thoughts going through her mind. She looked into Ash's auburn eyes and noticed something different about them. She had always loved looking into his eyes. Whether they were joyful, determined, or just plain confused, Serena didn't care. But as she looked into Ash's eyes now, she something different. In his eyes were love and relief, just like hers. His mouth was open, half in awe and half smiling.

"I love you too Ash" Serena whispered, both of them still looking into each other's eyes. It was Ash this time that moved in, going for another kiss. He was new to this whole romance thing, but he knew one thing. He had loved the experience, and wanted nothing more to continue kissing Serena.

"Pika Pi?"

Ash and Serena froze just centimeter's away from each other's lips again. Pikachu had woken up in Ash's room. They heard him jump down and before Pikachu came out of the room, they separated, both with cherry cheeks.

"Pika!"

Ash turned around to see Pikachu at the door. The little pokemon jumped into Ash's lap happy that its trainer was ok.

"Hey buddy, was just getting some water. Serena was up too it seems." Ash explained, pointing to his half full glass of water.

"Hey Pikachu, did we wake you?" Serena asked Pikachu while scratching behind one of its ears.

"Chaaaaa" Pikachu shook its head but cried in joy. Serena was scratching his favorite area.

"Hey Pikachu, you should get some rest now." Ash said, making Pikachu break his scratching session with Serena. It looked up at Ash confused. "We have a busy day tomorrow. We got a Pokemon League to win, remember?" Pikachu nodded, and jump off the couch. Ash and Serena watched Pikachu walk back to Ash's room.

"Ash, you should get some rest too." Serena said after Pikachu had gone. Ash looked back at Serena. A hint of sadness in his eyes. He didn't want to finish this moment with Serena.

Serena saw this and shook her head. "It's fine Ash." She leaned in, and lowered her voice. "You know that I love you, and I know that you love me. I couldn't be happier now." She said with a smile.

"Me neither" Ash replied.

With that, Serena got up and took Ash's now empty glass of water and placed it on the kitchen counter.

"Serena?" Ash said as Serena went to her room.

"Yes Ash?" She asked as she stood in the doorway.

"I could use some of that sleep medicine"


	18. Chapter 18: A Day for Stories

**Chapter 18: A Day for Stories**

 **Author's note: So now Ash and Serena are together, there is still one last thing to do. Ash must enter the Pokemon League and win to challenge the Elite Four and the Champion Diantha. We are now entering the "post Amourshipping" part of the story. How will Ash and Serena's relationship develop during the Tournament? Will they grow closer together or will the pressure to win be too much?**

Ash slept like a log after taking Serena's sleep medicine. However, it wasn't the medicine that made him sleep well. He slept so well that Bonnie came charging into his room screaming for him to get up.

After the initial shock from the little rampaging girl Ash got up and walked into the living room. Clemont and Serena were already there having breakfast. Ash rubbed the last of his sleep from his eyes. Pikachu joined him by his feet. Still too sleepy to jump up on Ash's shoulders.

"Well it's about time you got up Ash" Clemont said with a laugh. "You better hurry up or your food will get cold." He said as he motioned to the plate next to him. Ash looked up at the clock. It read 10:31. Ash couldn't remember the last time he slept in that late. Lately he had been up early, either training or getting ready for the day's journey.

"You could have woken me up earlier you know" Ash said as he approached the table. He sat down at the near chair as Bonnie sat down to his left. Clemont was to his right and...

"Yeah, but you looked so peaceful, I asked them not to wake you just yet."

Ash looked up, it was Serena who was sitting across from him. She had a smile on her face. She reached for her orange juice and drank it. Ash could have sworn he saw her wink. Ash looked at Serena. He wanted to embrace her again, to hold her and kiss her. However due to the company of Clemont and Bonnie, he just sat there staring at Serena.

"Uh...earth to Ash? Your food is down there" Ash regained himself as Bonnie snapped her fingers in front of his face. Serena placed her glass back down, a slight blush across her face.

"Yeah, sorry. Clemont this looks amazing!" Ash said as he begun to dig into his meal. Pikachu had joined the other pokemon in their meal next to the kitchen table. Pikachu mirrored Ash in eating its meal with extreme prejudice.

After Ash had just about finished his meal, Clemont started cleaning up. "So Ash, what are you going to do today?" He said as he placed the dishes in the sink. Ash gulped down the last of his orange juice.

"Well I still have to sign up for the tournament. I guess I'll do that first." He said with a cheery tone. Bonnie tilted her head and raised an eyebrow.

 _ **What's up with Ash now?**_

"Well hate to break it to you Ash, but sign ups are tomorrow afternoon." Clemont explained. He stayed with a plate a little longer. He had noticed Ash's drastic mood change too. Yesterday before bed he had been a wreck, but now? It was as if the old Ash had just come back.

Ash put his hands behind his head. Ash thought of his options. "Hmm...I guess we can go to the Pokemon Center. Maybe Nurse Joy could still use your help, and this time I want to help too." He said to the surprise of everyone, including Serena.

"Oooh! I want to help too. Can I big brother? It'll be like that one time Serena and I dressed up as Nurse Joy when the power went out." Bonnie exclaimed as she stood on her chair.

Serena gave a chuckle and agreed that it would be a good idea. "There could still be a lot of pokemon and people hurt from yesterday."

Ash took a shower as everyone else got ready. Once he was ready, they all went to the Pokemon Center. The village was full of activity. There were over a hundred people walking around, talking with each other, comparing pokemon, and Ash saw a small mock battle in one of the practice arenas at the edge of the village.

Once inside the Pokemon Center, the group found the nearest Nurse Joy and offered their assistance. She greatly appreciated their generosity, and soon found them small jobs to do. Serena and Bonnie helped out in the lobby for the Pokemon that needed minimal aid. Clemont went to the back where Nurse Joy showed him several medical machines that had broken from overuse last night. As Clemont fixed the medical equipment, Ash went down to the PokeMart to grab some more emergency supplies.

Arriving at the PokeMart, Ash was greeted by the store clerk and was led to the back of the store. In a back office area was a room of emergency supplies. Nurse Joy had given Ash a harness for his Charizard to carry most of the load, but all of Ash's Pokemon pitched in to help carry some of the load. On their way back Ash ran into a familar face.

"Sawyer?!"

Sure enough, the green haired trainer was walking past when Ash saw him. The young trainer turned and happily rushed over to Ash.

"Oh wow Ash. No surprise you're here. Did you hear about what happened at Victory Road?" Sawyer asked.

Ash's mind grew a bit dark, "Were...you there when it happened Sawyer?" He asked, fearing Sawyer's answer. He had just gotten over what had happened, with the help of Serena but he just didn't want another friend to had been affected, or hurt.

"Oh, no. I just arrived by helicopter about an hour ago. I just earned my 8th badge two days ago in Snowbelle City. I rushed over here but when I came upon Victory Road it had closed." Sawyer explained much to Ash's relief. "I heard what happened from Diantha from her conference. Say...you don't happen to be the trainer that helped save the day?" Sawyer asked.

Ash was caught off guard, but was saved by Sawyer's next question. "Wait...what's with all the stuff Ash?" Pointing at the boxes he and his Pokemon were carrying.

"Oh these? They're supplies for the Pokemon Center. We asked Nurse Joy if we could help due to the overflow of hurt Pokemon." Ash said, lowering his voice as he mentioned the Pokemon. "You want to follow me there? The rest are there helping out too." Ash asked.

Sawyer agreed and even released his Sceptile to help with some of the supplies from Charizard's load. Sawyer himself grabbed a box from Ash's bundle and they went together back to the Pokemon Center.

"Oh hey Serena, look it's Ash, and Sawyer is with him!" Bonnie exclaimed as Ash and Sawyer came inside. They had dropped off the supplies at the back of the Pokemon Center and returned to the lobby via the front door.

Serena and Bonnie had once again donned the attire of a Nurse Joy and were treating a Marowak and a Pyroar off to the side. Honestly it had been Serena treating the two Pokemon. Bonnie had been brushing the female Pyroar's mane.

The two girls said their goodbyes to the pokemon and walked up to Ash and Sawyer. "Hey Sawyer, it's good to see you. Are you participating in the Pokemon League?" Serena asked the young boy. Sawyer nodded his head and took out his own badge case revealing his 8 badges. The three gave Sawyer praise on how far he had come.

"Thank you, but I couldn't have done it without your guidance Ash." Sawyer said humbly. Ash gave a laugh and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Heh maybe, but you earned those badges yourself. You can't sell yourself short." Ash said.

"Oh yeah. Ash, Clemont wanted to see you. I guess he needs some help with this one machine." Bonnie said. Ash nodded and went towards the back leaving Sawyer with Serena and Bonnie. Pikachu decided to stay behind with Serena and listen to Sawyer's adventures.

"Hey Serena, did you guys get caught up with that Victory Road incident?" Sawyer asked.

* * *

Ash found Clemont in the back. He had just finished with the last machine and had given it to a Wigglytuff. "Hey Clemont, Bonnie said you needed my help?" Ash said, looking around for another machine but there wasn't.

"Yes...well no. I just wanted to ask you something." Clemont said putting away his tools in his bag.

"Oh ok, what's it about?" Ash asked, puzzled at his friend.

"Well Ash...look i'm not complaining. I just...uh there's no proper way to say this." Clemont started to say.

"Well just say it normally then." Ash said, reassuring his friend.

"Ok...Are you alright?" Clemont asked. Ash looked at Clemont with a confused look. He tilted his head, "What do you mean? You mean my headache? It's fine now." Clemont shook his head.

"No, I mean...you were in pretty bad shape last night. When we arrived at the Pokemon Center you didn't say anything, heck you barely moved until Pikachu came out of the E.R, and even after knowing Pikachu was fine you still acted very distant from everything." Clemont explained. Ash looked down in thought. He remembered how he was yesterday. In hind sight he saw how much he had Clemont, Bonnie, and especially Serena worried.

"But now...and again I'm not complaining, but today you seem perfectly fine. What happened?" Clemont asked.

Ash turned around, hiding his growing blush. It hadn't been half a day and already Clemont was about to figure out what had happened. Without looking at Clemont, Ash responded. "Thanks for worrying about me, but I'm fine. I was a little shaken up yesterday, but a good night sleep was what I needed." Ash said, but Clemont shook his head.

"You don't just sleep off what happened Ash. I could see how you were avoiding Serena's gaze last night during dinner." Clemont said, Ash's head jolted up. His cheeks were red, but he still had his back to Clemont.

"What happened between you two yesterday? I mean, Serena told us when we caught up to her when you were inside the structure fighting Malamar, but I saw her hesitate at a few parts." Clemont said. He walked up to Ash and touched his shoulder. Ash was hoping there would be some time before he would tell Clemont about him and Serena, but there was no hiding anymore. He turned around to face Clemont.

"You should probably sit down for this, Clemont." Ash said.

* * *

"He did what?!" Sawyer shouted. His mouth was quickly smothered by Serena and Bonnie's hands.

"SHH!" They both whispered. Sawyer nodded his head, and they released their hands.

"So he ran inside to help his Charizard?" Sawyer asked with a lowered voice. The two girls nodded. The three of them sat down at an open booth, far from everyone else. Serena had told Sawyer the story from her point of view, obviously leaving out the part when Ash had hit her and when they had kissed. Bonnie had told him what happened with her and Clemont after Serena ran off to Ash. Sawyer had listened the whole time without interuption until now. As they told him what happened, his eyes grew bigger and his mouth opened wider.

"Now remember. You can't tell anyone this." Serena said after the story had ended. Sawyer nodded his head. Serena told him that Diantha and the Elite Four knew as well, and to protect them had lied about the incident and kept their identities hidden.

"Of course, I promise." Sawyer said, placing his hand over his heart.

* * *

"You two did what?!" Clemont shouted. His mouth was quickly smothered by Ash's hand.

"SHH!" He whispered. Clemont nodded his head, and Ash released his hand.

"Sorry...Well I'm glad you two are happy." Clemont said in a lowered voice. The two boys were sitting down in the back corner of the room where a bench was.

Ash had told Clemont all the small details that he and Serena had left out. He told Clemont about how he...Malamar had hit Serena, and how she had truly freed him from Malamar's control. Clemont's eyes nearly popped out of his head when Ash told him that he had kissed Serena. However, Clemont had never interupted Ash's story. That was until Ash told Clemont about what happened last night.

"You two compliment each other really well." Clemont said. Ash looked away, blushing. He was still getting used to him and Serena being...wait.

"Clemont, does that mean Serena and I are boyfriend and girlfriend?" Ash asked out of the blue. Clemont was surpised to say the least, he had fallen off the bench from Ash's question. He picked himself up and laughed a little bit.

"Well, that's for you two to decide, but I would say yes. Why, what's wrong?" Clemont asked. Ash leaned back against the wall staring at the ceiling.

"It's just kinda weird for me that's all. You see, I've been travelling for over 6 years now. I've met a lot of awesome people, including several girls. But I never thought I would fall in love with them. I mean, I saw them as close friends, and one of them I saw as a little sister. But Serena...she's different." Ash said.

The two boys were interupted by Bonnie barging in, followed by Serena and Sawyer. Ash and Clemont quickly recovered and greeted them.  
"I thought Ash was helping you with a machine Clemont?" Bonnie said looking around. Ash grinned, thinking he was caught.

"That's right. We just dropped it off with Wigglytuff just now." Clemont said without hesitation. Ash was thankful for that save.

"Well that's good. Hey Ash, we thought about going to the local resturant here for lunch with Sawyer, is that ok?" Serena asked. Ash looked up at her, and once again fell into a trance. He had always loved her blue eyes, but now they were mesmerizing. It took all his will to snap out of it and avoid some awkwardness.

"Yeah that would be great!" He said. The others hadn't noticed Ash's moment, but Serena had.

They spent the rest of the day talking about their adventures since they had last been together. Sawyer had told them of his final gym battle with Wulfric and how his Sceptile overcame an overwhelming disadvantage to secure the win. Serena told Ash that they told Sawyer about Victory Road. She gave him a wink to tell him that they hadn't told him everything much to Ash's relief.

Before they knew it, it was night time and the curfew was almost upon them. Thankfully Sawyer was staying in building "F" adjacent to their building. They said their goodnights, with Sawyer asking Ash for a quick warm-up match in the morning. Without blinking an eye, Ash had accepted.

Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie entered their room, and immediately slouched down on the furniture in the living room, tired from the days events. Ash and Serena took the couch while Bonnie and Clemont relaxed on their chairs. After awhile, Serena got up and went to take a shower before bed. Bonnie did the same in her bathroom, leaving Ash and Clemont in the living room.

The two sat there in silence. Ash moved over and laid down on the couch, pulling his hat over his eyes. Pikachu took the opprotunity to sit on top of Ash's chest. Ash didn't mind, Pikachu had slept on his chest hundreds of times.

"Once Bonnie is done, I'll put her to bed so you and Serena can have some time alone." Clemont said out of nowhere.

Ash jolted up, his hat falling to the floor. Pikachu was able to land on his feet. He gave an annoyed look at Ash, but then laughed it off.

"What do you mean?" Ash said, flustering over his words.

"Well, you two haven't had time to talk about what happened last night." Clemont replied.

Pikachu tilted its head, looking at Ash. Ash saw this, and motioned to his buddy to hop up on his lap. Pikachu gladly did, grabbing Ash's hat off the ground with his mouth.

"Thanks buddy," Ash said as he recieved his hat. "You see, when Serena and I were talking last night, we found out we really like each other." He said to Pikachu. The Pokemon simply nodded, but had a slight puzzled look on it's face.

"Not like how I liked Misty, May, or Dawn. You know...we really like each other." Ash explained further.

Pikachu's eyes went big. Ash knew that Pikachu understood. The thing was, was Pikachu going to burst out laughing or something else.

"Pikachu!" The little pokemon cheered. It ran up Ash's arm and sat on Ash's head.

"Pika Pi! Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu was now laughing but Ash understood it as a friendly laugh, and not a making fun of him kind of laugh.

Bonnie stepped out of her room, she was in her pajamas, her hair was still wet.

"What's all the noise Pikachu?" She asked as she rubbed her towel over her hair.

"Nothing, just a joke" Ash said as he grabbed Pikachu from his head, placing him on his lap again.

"Oh! Tell me please!" Bonnie said, excited to hear it.

"Maybe tomorrow morning, but right now it's time for bed" Clemont said as she lightly pushed Bonnie back into her room.

"Oh c'mon Clemont! It'll take just a minute!" Bonnie said as Clemont closed the door behind him.

Not a second had gone by when Serena's door opened. She too was in her pajamas. Her hair was wrapped up in her towel. Ash looked over, and again he could feel his heart jump.

"What's this I hear about a joke?" She said as she walked over and sat next to Ash on the couch, much closer than 10 minutes ago. As she sat down, Pikachu jumped from Ash's lap onto Serena's.

"Pika...chu!" It said with glee.

"Oh hey Pikachu. Ash what's up with Pikachu?" Serena asked, looking over at Ash. He was looking at her with a smile, but once she looked over he averted his gaze. After a second, he looked back at Serena still with a smile.

"Pikachu...knows Serena, about us. I told him" Ash said with a blush on his face. Serena's face looked shocked for a minute, but then smiled as she looked down at the cheerful Pokemon.

"Oh did you now? Is that why you were laughing just now?" She asked Pikachu. Pikachu nodded it's head and jumped up on Serena's shoulder.

"I think he approves Serena" Ash said. After they realized what Ash had said, they both looked at each other at the same time.

"Approves...?" Serena said as lingering question.

Ash swallowed and took a quick breath. He knew there was nothing to be scared of. He knew Serena's feelings and he knew his own. He placed his hand on Serena's and smiled.

"Approves us being...boyfriend and girlfriend." Ash said.

Serena's eyes widened, her face quickly turning red. She leaned over and hugged Ash. Ash returned the hug. Pikachu jumped off and sat on the backrest of the couch between the two.

"So is that a yes?" Ash asked. Serena pulled back, a puzzled look on her face.

"But there was no question?" She said. Ash gave a short laugh, and took Serena's hand again.

"Ok, do you want to be my girlfriend Serena?" He asked with red cheeks.

Serena didn't answer, well not verbally. She just leaned in again, but instead of a hug, she kissed Ash. Serena pulled away from the kiss, but rested her forehead and Ash's, keeping them close.

"Yes"


	19. Chapter 19: Investigator Bonnie

**Chapter 19: Investigator Bonnie**

The next day Ash and Sawyer, along with Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie went to the main Pokemon stadium to sign up for the tournament. There were a dozen League officials accepting trainers Pokedex's on the other side of the main lobby. Ash and Sawyer gave one of the officials their Pokedex.

"Ok Mr. Ketchum, welcome to the Kalos Pokemon League." The official said as he gave back Ash's Pokedex. "and you Mr. Shoto" He said as he gave back Sawyer's Pokedex.  
"When will the brackets be up sir?" Ash asked as they were about to leave.

"At the end of the opening ceremony the brackets will be revealed. You will then know where and when your first round battle will begin along with who it is against." The official explained. The group then left, making room for other participants to sign up.

Clemont looked at the brochure he had picked up in the lobby. "It looks like the opening ceremony will be tomorrow night at the main stadium, and the first round will be the day after that in the outer stadiums." He read from the paper.

"What about the big stadium? Will Ash be battling back in there?" Bonnie asked, looking back at the stadium as they walked back to the Pokemon Center. Clemont shook his head. "Not until the semi-finals where trainers will be allowed to use 6 pokemon. Until then, trainers will battle in the outer stadiums and only use 3 pokemon per battle."  
"Hey Clemont," Ash said, "Didn't Diantha say there was something different about these first rounds?"

Clemont nodded his head. He had remembered what Diantha said to them back in Luminose City. "Yes. According to this brochure there will be 64 competitors, which means 6 rounds including the finals. So the first 4 rounds will be 3v3 Pokemon battles." Clemont said, "However, a trainer cannot use the same pokemon more than twice in those first four rounds."

"So Ash can only use Pikachu for two matches?" Bonnie asked.

"Yes, that is until Ash reaches the Semi-Finals, then there is no restriction" Clemont replied.

"So what Pokemon will you be using Ash?" Sawyer said. Ash looked and saw Sawyer with a pen and his notebook, ready to write down any good advice from him.

"Hmm, I don't know yet. I guess I'll think about it tonight." Ash said looking up at the sky. Serena grabbed Ash's arm, surprising Bonnie, Sawyer, and even Ash.

"It doesn't matter what Pokemon you choose. You'll win for sure!" Serena said.

Serena looked around as everyone had kind of stopped and was looking at her. She looked down at her arms wrapped around Ash's arm. Ash and Serena still hadn't told Bonnie or Sawyer about their new relationship.

"Oh sorry." She said with a blush. Ash laughed it off. He would have lied if he said he didn't like Serena holding on to him, but it was still kind of weird in public. Ash wondered when they would tell the rest of their friends about it.

The rest of the day, Ash and Sawyer trained against each other with several one on one battles. Sawyer had grown as a trainer last time Ash had met him. His Sceptile was extremely strong and powerful. His Shelgon had evolved into a Salamence that could pace itself with Ash's Noveirn. His Honedge had evolved into Doublade. It had battled Pikachu and was able to stop any Iron Tail attack from landing. It would block with one sword, then counter with the other.

Ash saw Sawyer's new Pokemon as well. Sawyer had a Manetric just as fast as Pikachu and a Camerupt that had could shoot fire just as hot as Charizard's flamethrower. Sawyer's last pokemon was Slowbro. As it started battling, Ash thought the water pokemon was a new addition to Sawyer's team. It couldn't dodge and had it's eyes closed the whole time. Ash was using his Talonflame and even with the type disadvantage, Ash felt this was one sided in his favor.

However, when Ash thought he was going to call it quits, Sawyer ordered Slowbro to use Scald. In a flash, the clumsy oblivious pokemon tensed up, and shot a powerful stream of boiling water straight at Talonflame. The element of surprise was against Ash and Talonflame and the Scald scored a direct hit. Talonflame was still able to battle, but they decided to call it quits for the day.

"So what was your Slowbro doing before it struck?" Clemont asked as the group went to the Pokemon Center to heal their Pokemon.

"It used a technique called Calm Mind. It's a bit dangerous since Slowbro can get damaged as it raises it's attack." Sawyer explained, "But as you saw, it can really pay off." The other agreed. Slowbro could lure an enemy into thinking they were going to get an easy win, and then in an instant, have the tables turned on them. The psychological effect alone would be devastating to any trainer's confidence in the heat of battle.

Ash asked about Sawyer's Slurpuff. Sawyer explained that it he would use it during the later rounds. It had grown stronger, but Sawyer wanted to train with his other new Pokemon before the tournament.

The group stayed at the Pokemon Center for dinner as their Pokemon were treated. Serena and Clemont made them a nice home cooked meal, along with all the Pokemons favorite PokePuffs. As they sat down, Clemont, Bonnie, and Sawyer sat on one end of the table while Ash and Serena sat on the other. Bonnie made a note at how close Ash and Serena were sitting together.

 _ **The sudden change in Ash's behavior, Serena being much more cheerful, and now today with them being so close. I must investigate this further...**_

It was nearing curfew, so the group said their goodnights to Sawyer and made way to their room. They all sat down in the living room together, winding down from todays events. Once again, Clemont and Bonnie took the chairs while Ash and Serena took the couch.

"So Ash, have you figured out which pokemon you'll use in the first couple of rounds?" Clemont asked as he put his backpack down by his door.

"Well I was thinking of having a balance between two teams that I would use." Ash said as he took out his 5 Pokeballs.

"I want a balance of speed, power, and types. So I'm going to make my teams like that." Ash explained as he picked up one of the Pokeballs.

"For speed, I'm going to have Greninja on one team, and Pikachu on the other." He said as he placed the pokeball back on the table away from the others.

Clemont nodded his head, "They are two of your fastest pokemom" Ash picked up another two pokeballs.

"For types, I have two fire flying types so I'm going to have Talonflame and Charizard on seperate teams. I'll have Talonflame with Greninja, and Pikachu with Charizard." He said as put Talonflame's pokeball next to Greninja's and Charizard's next to Pikachu.

"Now with Talonflame and Greninja, I'm going to need a powerful pokemon strong against eletric types so I'll bring in my Torterra tomorrow." Ash said. With one team down, he thought about the last member of his second team.

"Then for Pikachu and Charizard, I guess Sceptile would be the best in case of any Ground or Rock types." Ash said after thinking of his other options. Clemont agreed with Ash's choices. Ash had made two teams with good balances between speed and power along with coverage of types.

"But what about Hawlucha, or Noivern?" Serena asked as she looked down at Ash's leftover pokeballs.

"Or what about Snorlax?!" Bonnie whined.

Ash picked up Hawlucha's and Noivern's pokeballs and looked at them. "Don't worry you two. Once I make it to the full 6v6 battles, I'll be using them. They'll be my wild cards." Ash said.

"Well aren't you confident Ash, already thinking about the final rounds?" Bonnie said with a little sass.

Ash laughed. "Ha, well I have great motivators" He had said this while looking at Serena.

With that they all got ready for bed. Serena took a shower first, leaving Ash to think about his choices. However he had made up his mind and was thinking of other things. Serena and him had really only had time to be together at the end of the day. They had agreed about keeping their new relationship a secret from Bonnie, but after a day of not being able to be as close to Serena as he would like, he had second thoughts.

After Serena had finished up in the shower, Ash walked outside his room. Bonnie and Clemont were already in bed in their own rooms. A minute went by and Serena walked out of her room in her pajamas, her hair still damp.

Ash's heart raced again. He hadn't gotten used to this feeling, and he felt like it wouldn't go away soon. Not that Ash didn't like it, in fact he loved the feeling.

Serena had the same feeling. She felt weightless as she gingerly walked over and sat down next to Ash. She gave him a quick peck on the lips and shifted her body so she laid back against Ash. She snuggled up, and rested her head on Ash's chest.

"Hey Serena, what are you doing?" Ash asked as Serena leaned against him. Serena sighed, Ash was still dense and a little clueless on the whole romance thing.

"I thought we could just cuddle tonight." She raised herself up a little bit and turned to look back at Ash. "Is that ok?" She asked. Ash looked and saw Serena give him puppy eyes.

It was too much for Ash, Serena was just too cute for him. He nodded his head, and Serena leaned back on Ash's chest. Ash liked this cuddling with Serena just as much as he liked kissing her though he didn't know what to do. Do they just sit here? Serena noticed Ash's hesitation, and reached for his hands. She grabbed them and placed them around her waist in a hug.

"So this is like hugging, but when we're sitting down?" Ash said. Serena giggled, but nodded her head. "Yes Ash" Serena couldn't help it. This part of Ash was so innocent, and she loved it.

"I like it" Ash said in a whisper.

And that was why. Ash may not know at times, but his kind words would go further than he thought. His little remark made Serena's heart jump, but she sooned gained her composure. She smiled and snuggled more against Ash. In response, Ash lowered his head and rested it on top of Serena's hair. He caught the scent of fresh strawberries from her hair.

They stayed like that for several minutes. They would exchange quick words, but mostly they stayed in silence. However, there was someone watching them. Pikachu had left for Ash's room when Serena had joined Ash and was now sleeping.

"Heheheheha"

Ash and Serena looked around then back at each other.

"Did you hear that?" Serena asked. They both listened more closely now, but now they couldn't hear anything.

"I think I heard something, but now it's gone" Ash said in a whisper. He had raised his chin away from Serena's hair, but kept holding her.

"Mmphhhehhhh"

Serena bolted up from the couch and looked behind the edge of the couch.

"Bonnie! What are you doing up!" Serena shouted in a whisper. Ash bolted up to after hearing that Bonnie was there. Had she seen them?  
"I knew it!" Bonnie said inbetween laughs. She was trying her best to keep quiet with her hands over her mouth. Serena turned bright red, she must have been spying on them.

"Hey what are you doing?" Bonnie asked in protest.

Much to Ash's surprise Serena had taken Bonnie by the hand and went into Bonnie's room, closing the door behind them leaving Ash alone. He hoped that Serena wasn't too mad at Bonnie. Sure he was kind of annoyed that Bonnie had spied on them, but she was just a kid.

Ash stood there for 5 minutes. He wanted to listen in on what Serena was saying to Bonnie, but he didn't want to intrude. Serena must be pretty upset and embarassed so Ash decided to wait outside. As he waited, he sat back down on the couch. It was still warm where he and Serena had been. His mind went back to where they were. He had never been more excited and calm before. His heart would be racing, his cheeks hot and his voice would tremble at times. But when he was with Serena, especially the last couple of nights, he had this calmness. It was as if the Pokemon League didn't matter any more. Sure he wanted to win, but now it wasn't the most important thing in his life now. Even if he lost in the first round, he knew it would still be ok.

Bonnie's door opened and Serena walked out with Bonnie behind her. Ash saw Bonnie's head was lowered. Serena stopped by the edge of the couch while Bonnie walked up to Ash. She stopped in front of Ash, with her head down. She wasn't crying but she did look a bit sad.

"Sorry for spying on you two" She said in a low voice. Ash looked up to Serena. She didn't look angry. She gave him a smile and a nod.

"It's ok Bonnie" Ash said with a soft tone. Bonnie looked up with sad eyes. "You're not mad at me?"

Ash shook his head, "While we might be a bit upset you were spying on us, we're not mad at you Bonnie. It's fine, really." He said, putting his hand on her shoulder. Then in an instant, Bonnie's expression change to joy.

"Yea!" She jumped up and hugged Ash. "I knew something was off with you Ash!" She said. Ash and Serena hushed Bonnie, it was late and Clemont should be asleep by now.

"Oops, so how long has Ash been your boyfriend Serena?" Bonnie said after letting go of Ash. Serena blushed, she still needed time to get used that. "Just a couple of days. It was our first night here." She said looking at Ash with a growing smile on her face. Bonnie crossed her arms and nodded her head.

"Uh huh, I knew it. I wondered why Ash acted so differently that morning." She said, both Ash and Serena looked at each other and laughed. Serena went over and gently pushed Bonnie back to her room.

"Now it's getting late. You need to go back to bed." Serena started to say, but Bonnie stopped at her door.

"But you two aren't? You're just going to go back to having kissy faces." She said with a sly smile. Ash, who was out of sight from Bonnie grew bright red, as did Serena.

"Oh, you little..." Serena said as she finally pushed Bonnie into her room. After a minute, she walked out and closed the door.

"I guess we should get to bed. Tomorrow is the last day before the tournament. Sawyer and I will need to start early." Ash said to Serena as she got close. Serena looked down with sad eyes. She knew he was right, but she would be lying if she didn't want to be with him a little longer.

"I understand." Serena said as she gave Ash a kiss on the lips.

"By the way, what did you do in there?" Ash said pointing to Bonnie's room. "Were you really mad at Bonnie?"

Serena shook her head. "No, I just explained to her that I finally expressed my feelings for you. Apparently Bonnie knew for awhile about my feelings. I said that we needed some time first before telling her. I told her I was upset that she was spying on us, but no I didn't yell at her or anything. Were you mad Ash?

Ash shook his head. "No, maybe a little upset, but mostly embarrassed." He said with a faint laugh.

They stood there for a bit, not saying anything. Ash broke the awkwardness by hugging Serena. She returned the hug, wrapping her arms around Ash's neck. Ash broke away, and gave Serena a peck on the lips.

"Goodnight Serena"

Serena drew Ash closer and kissed him.

"Goodnight Ash."

 **Author's note: The next three chapters are the Opening Ceremony and the first two rounds. They will have a detailed account of what happens during the first two rounds for Ash and Sawyer, and the relationship development of Ash and Serena. However, if you folks want to skip that with just one chapter and have me outline what happens, then by all means I will do that.**


	20. Chapter 20: The Opening Ceremony

**Chapter 20: The Opening Ceremony**

 **Author's note: So according to your responses in reviews and private messages, I will continue as usual and not condense the next three chapters into one. This is a small chapter compared to the recent ones, but it does set up later chapters. Enjoy!**

The Pokemon village started to buzz with excitement when the Opening Ceremony and the start of the Tournament was getting closer. It was getting late, and the sun was starting to set. While all of the participants had already arrived and entered into the tournament, more and more people started to arrive. Soon, there were thousands of people, all awaiting the start of another great Kalos Pokemon League Tournament.

The Opening Ceremony was to start in an hour, and people were filling in to the main stadium. Among those people were Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie. Just a while ago they said goodbye to Ash and Sawyer as they entered into a back entrance for participants. They would have to watch from the stands. Serena had given Ash a quick kiss as Sawyer went in. They still hadn't told Sawyer about their relationship. It just felt odd to them that they needed to tell everybody about it. They had agreed to tell Sawyer after the tournament if he hadn't already figured it out.

Being vouched by Ash; Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie were able to take their seats first. Family and friends of participants were able to sit in the front rows. As they entered the stands, they saw a large platform on one edge of the arena floor. There were several people there but they looked like League officials. They were going around, testing sound systems and going over last minute details.

"This is going to be so cool. I can't wait til Ash and Sawyer come out." Bonnie said as they found their seats. They were in first row, slightly off the center of the arena.

"But there isn't going to be any battles until tomorrow." Clemont explained. Bonnie didn't care. This was her first time watching a Pokemon League. She hadn't even watched one on T.V before.

"Well I bet it's still going to be great." Serena said.

As time went by, more and more people filled into the stands. Soon it was hard to spot an empty seat. Serena had never seen so many people in one spot before. At the Master Finals, there was around 10,000 people in attendance, but this stadium was capable of holding about 35,000 people. The ambient sound from everyone in the stadium was loud. Serena had to raise her voice just to say something to Clemont sitting right next to her.

But then, the crowd went silent. All the lights had dimmed except for a lone spotlight that shined on the platform. A man walked into the light. He was dressed in a black suit with a blue tie. In his hand was a microphone.

"Good Evening Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, and welcome to the Kalos Pokemon League. I am your host, Charles Goodshow..." The man started.

"He's Mr. Goodshow!" Clemont exclaimed. Serena and Bonnie looked at Clemont. "Do you know him?" Bonnie asked.

"Of course! He's the CEO of the Pokemon League! He resides over all the Leagues in the different regions! He's the most important person in the Pokemon League, even more than all the champions!" Clemont explained.

"Wow, he must be a busy man." Serena stated.

"...and it is my great pleasure to introduce you all to our competitors in this years tournament!" Goodshow said as he pointed his arm to the tunnel at one end of the arena.

In 4 rows, the competitors walked out of the tunnel toward the middle of the arena. The crowd cheered as they saw their competitor they were cheering for. Serena was the first to spot Ash. He was in the far row, closest to the platform near the back of the group. Sawyer was right behind him as well. The three of them cheered on Ash and Sawyer as the group stopped in the middle of the arena. The competitors all turned toward the platform, looking up at Mr. Goodshow.

"Welcome competitors. You have all shown that you deserve to be here today. You may look around and see that the numbers are low. True, but the road here has been the hardest this year. As all of you may know, a couple of the gym leaders in the region have utilized the new and great power of Mega Evolution. According to our gyms from around the region, the same amount of trainers have tried to win the necessary 8 badges." Goodshow said. He now pointed to all the competitors.

"But only you have past their tests. So don't look at the numbers as a bad sign, but as proof that you are truly the best of the best." Goodshow finished as he beckoned to someone behind him. Out of the shadow came 5 people. Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie, along with everyone else recognized them immediately. It was Diantha and her Elite Four.

"Thank you Mr. Goodshow." Diantha said as she accepted the microphone from Goodshow. "Like Mr. Goodshow said, you all are the best of the best. But out of you 64 participants, only one of you can challenge my Elite Four, and if you can best them...It will be my great pleasure to accept your challenge in the Arena." Diantha stated as the crowd roared with excitement.

"Now to determine the brackets, you will all be randomly given a number." The giant screen behind Diantha lit up and 64 pictures of the competitors were shown. Next to each picture was a number. Ash saw himself, a number 14 next to him. Sawyer saw his, a number 27 next to him. The pictures then rearranged themselves into a bracket system. Ash and Sawyer saw that they were far from each other. If they won their matches, they would meet in the semi-finals.

Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie saw this as well. They all hoped the two competitors the best of luck, but they may be pitted against each other. The pictures rearranged themselves again, but this time in pairs with their respective opponents. Each pair was placed below a picture of a stadium. The stadiums were labeled: Red, Blue, Yellow, Green, and Purple.

Ash understood what they meant. On the outside of the stadiums, there was painted a large colored ring that told which stadium it was. He saw himself at the top under the Blue stadium, he would be battling in the first matches. Sawyer was underneath the Green stadium, but he was at the bottom. He would be in the last matches of the day.

"The first set of matches will start tomorrow at 10am sharp. The 2nd set will start at 11am, the 3rd at noon, and so forth until the 6th and 7th set of matches." Diantha continued saying.

Ash and Sawyer looked at each, both eager to start the tournament. Diantha motioned for the competitors to turn around. Ash and Sawyer did along with everyone else. They looked up and turned their attention to the top of the stadium. There was a gigantic bowl on top of the stadium. And then like a flash of light a fire came racing across the sky. The flame landed in the bowl and a moment later it had ignited. Diantha spoke again.

"And with the fire of the Legendary Pokemon Moltres, forever burning, it is my pleasure to official start the Kalos Pokemon League Tournament. Good luck competitors, and I hope to see everyone give it their all." Fireworks then exploded above them, filling the night sky with light. Diantha and the Elite Four walked off stage, and the competitors walked back through the tunnel.

Ash and Sawyer met the rest of the group outside near the Pokemon Center. They couldn't stay long though. The curfew was still in effect, and they had about half an hour to get inside.

"Well Sawyer, you ready for tomorrow?" Clemont asked the young trainer. Sawyer nodded, but obviously looked nervous. "It's just that...I have to wait so long for my battle." Sawyer responded.

Ash remembered his first time in a Pokemon League. He had been really nervous, but mid-way through his battle he had lost his nervousness. Most of it was due to him beating a trainer 3-0 with just using his Krabby, that had evolved into Kingler. Ash put his hand on Sawyer's shoulder, reassuring him.  
"Don't worry. I was nervous in my first tournament. I mean, I still get nervous. But once you start battling, it all goes away." Ash said. Sawyer took Ash's words to heart, believing his mentor and friend would be behind him the whole way.

"Yeah, in the meantime I'm going to watch your match!" Sawyer said, Ash almost thought that Sawyer was going to grab his notebook and pen. However, Serena interrupted.

"We all will, but right now you need your sleep Ash. Uh...you too Sawyer." She said. The group agreed and said bye to Sawyer. When they were up in their room, the group started getting ready for bed. Now that Bonnie knew of their relationship, Ash and Serena openly displayed their affection to each other, though they still felt a bit awkward.

After they had their own showers they sat next to each other on the couch. They held each other's hand, and Serena had rested her head on Ash's shoulder. As Bonnie was finishing up in the shower, Clemont came by and sat down across from them in a chair. They both looked at Clemont with questioning eyes. They didn't mind him there, but it looked like he was about to ask them something. And from his expression, it was important.

"Are you ready Ash?" Clemont simply asked.

"Yes." It was all Ash could say. Clemont knew he was ready for his first round match. He had done all he could with his Pokemon. He had pushed them to their limits and beyond these last two weeks. The only thing holding him back was Mega Evolving Charizard, but now that he could, now that he was done with distractions, he knew he was ready.

"Serena...I'm sorry, but can I talk to Ash in private for a minute?" Clemont then asked as he looked to Serena. Serena raised her head from Ash's shoulder and looked at Clemont with a worried look. She looked back at Ash, who had a similar expression. She knew Clemont meant well, so reluctantly she nodded her head, got up and went to her room.

"Just knock when you're done, ok?" Serena said as she went to her room.

"Of course, it'll only be a minute." Clemont said. As Serena closed her door, Clemont looked back at Ash. Ash still had a worried expression on his face but Clemont saw Ash give him a stern look; he had his full attention. Clemont took a deep breath and asked he true question.

"This may be asking a bit early, but...Are you ready...when the time comes and you have to face Diantha for the title of Champion. Are you ready to win?" Clemont asked.

Ash was about to answer, that he wasn't going to think about that just yet. He was going to take it one round...one battle at a time. It would be foolish to think about facing the champion now. Ash was about to answer but Clemont raised his hand to stop him.

"Becuase being a Champion, unlike something like Kalos Queen, cannot be ignored Ash." Clemont stated.

"But what does that..." Ash starting but trailed off as something clicked in his mind. If he became Champion, it would mean that Serena would have to choose between her ongoing dream or him. It was the same situation they had faced just two weeks ago but now the roles were reversed.

Ash stayed there with his mouth open as he tried to find the right words. However he couldn't find them so he closed his mouth and lowered his head.

"Not having an answer is actually a good answer Ash" Clemont said as he saw Ash struggling. Ash looked up at his friend, wondering what he meant.

"It means that you really care about Serena. This decision, if you have to make it, will affect both of you greatly." Clemont continued, trying to reaffirm Ash that it was ok. "As a friend to both of you, what I would like you to do, is to talk to Serena about this. You don't have to get an answer tonight, and I don't expect you two to have one tonight. But from what I've seen, as long as you two are honest with each other, you'll end up happy."

Ash looked at Clemont with bewilderment. "Who are you and what have you done with Clemont?" He asked sarcastically. The two boys laughed, but Ash continued.

"Thank you Clemont. You truly are a good friend." Ash said. He got up, with Clemont getting up as well. Ash reached out his hand, and Clemont accepted it in a handshake.

The two friends said their goodnights and Clemont went to his room. Ash then went to Serena's door and knocked. When she came out she saw Ash smiling. She returned the smile, relieved that whatever Clemont said to Ash didn't dampen his mood.

"Serena, there's something I like to talk about"


	21. Chapter 21: The First Round

**Chapter 21: The First Round**

It was a beautiful day as the first round matches were about to begin. Not a single cloud could be found as the sun rose higher into the sky. It was an hour until the first matches were about to begin as Ash, Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, and Sawyer stood outside the Blue Stadium. As they entered the stadium, a tall man walked up to them. As he was dressed, they saw he was a Pokemon League official.

"Mr. Ketchum?" The man asked to Ash.

"Yes I am." Ash answered.

"You will follow me to the Trainer's Lounge. There you will wait until the match is to start." He said as he began to walk away.

"What about my friends?" Ash asked, signalling to his friends behind him.

The official shook his head. "I'm sorry Mr. Ketchum, but due to new security measures only participants that are about to battle are allowed in the Lounge."

Ash nodded his head, sad that he had to separate from his friends now. He turned around and they all gave him the thumbs up.

"You can do it Ash!" Bonnie shouted.

"Just trust in your Pokemon, like you always do" Clemont said.

"There's no doubt you'll win" Sawyer exclaimed.

"I believe in you Ash" Serena said softly, but not before giving Ash a quick peck on the cheek. She had wanted to kiss him on the lips, and so did Ash, but they still felt uneasy in showing their affection in public, and they still hadn't told Sawyer. Sawyer, who had seen the kiss, thought nothing of it. He knew Serena was an incredibly kind and caring girl and saw the kiss as just a friendly one.

Ash went with the official to the Lounge as the rest of the group found their seats. According to the bracket, Ash will be battling as the green trainer so they found seats that were close to the trainers box on the green side.

"So who is Ash facing this round?" Sawyer asked, looking at Clemont who had picked up a flyer detailing all the matches today.

"A guy named Dean. He's from Santalune City actually." Clemont said as he read the flyer. "This will be his first Pokemon League appearance."

"Well, then Ash should be able to win no sweat!" Bonnie cheered. Clemont didn't share the same enthusiasm.

"Remember Bonnie, everyone here was able to win 8 gym badges. There's going to be no push overs here" Clemont said. Sawyer and Serena nodded their heads in agreement.

In the trainer's lounge Ash found another person already there. A young boy a couple of years younger than Ash. He had blonde hair and a red jacket. As Ash entered, the boy turned to face Ash.

"Are you Ash?" The boy asked. Ash sensed the boy's nervousness in his voice. Ash had seen the boy's profile in the brackets. Dean, a Kalos native that had just started his pokemon journey a year ago. He had started last year, but couldn't make it to the League in time. So after a year of extra training and adventure, Dean was finally able to make it to the Pokemon League.

"Yes, you must be Dean?" Ash responded; the boy nodded his head. Ash could see the boy's legs were slightly shaking. Ash remembered his first Pokemon League. Though he didn't want to admit it at first, he was scared. He didn't want to let down his friends and family.

"A pleasure to meet you" Ash said as he extended his hand to Dean. The boy looked at Ash's hand in awe and shook it. "It's an honor to meet you"

"Honor?" Ash asked in confusion.

"I read your profile earlier this morning. Several Top 8 finishes, a semi-final appearance where you defeated 2 Legendary Pokemon. You even beat the Orange League, and were the first to defeat the Battle Frontier." Dean said as he went over Ash's record. Ash blushed scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.

"I know I can't beat you" Dean said as he finished. This took Ash by surprise. He looked down at the boy who now had his head down. They hadn't even stepped out onto the battlefield and Dean had already accepted defeat. Ash placed his hands on Dean's shoulders and took a knee so he could see Dean's face.

"Now that's no way to think. You're selling yourself short. If you made it here, then you must be strong." Ash said trying to cheer the boy up.

"Yeah, maybe...but not as strong as you." Dean said.

"I guess we will have to find out right? You owe it to yourself and your pokemon to do your very best. Never give up until it's over!" Ash said. With that Dean looked up at Ash. He smiled at Ash's encouraging words.

"Right, for my pokemon!" Dean said, now ready for their battle. Ash nodded his head and got up. He was here to win, but he didn't want to battle against trainers who weren't at their very best.

"Trainers, are you ready?" A door on the other side opened and a referee entered. Both Ash and Dean nodded their heads. Following the referee they walked out onto the battlefield.

"There he is!" Serena shouted as she saw Ash following the referee outside the middle tunnel. The two trainers shook hands and went to their own trainers box on opposite ends of the battlefield. The referee took his place on the sideline in the middle.

"This will be a three on three pokemon battle. When all of one trainer's Pokemon are unable to battle, the other will be declared the victor. Both trainers are allowed substitutions." The referee exclaimed for everyone in the stadium.

"Green trainer, Ash are you ready?" As he pointed to Ash. Ash gave a nod as he grabbed his first pokeball.

"Red trainer, Dean are you ready?" Dean took a deep breath and nodded, raising his own pokeball.

"Both trainers send out your first Pokemon!" The ref said as he raised both his flags.

"Alright Talonflame! C'mon out!" Ash said as he called out his first Pokemon.

"I'm counting on you Pelipper!" Dean shouted as he called on his first Pokemon.

The two flying Pokemon squared off, keeping steady ready for their trainer's first command.

"It has been pre-determined that Dean will have the first move" The referee stated, "Let the battle begin!" He said as he lowered his flags.

"Alright Pelipper shoot down his Talonflame with your Water Gun!" Dean commanded. Pelipper fired a torrent of water straight at Talonflame.

"Dodge it quick and get above Pelipper!" Ash quickly responded. Talonflame was quick and easily dodged the Water Gun attack. "Good, now use Flame Charge!"

Talonflame dive-bombed Pelipper, engulfing itself in fire. Pelipper tried to dodge, but Talonflame readjusted and slammed into Pelipper. Due to it's typing the attack wasn't very effective, but Ash knew getting the first hit in was crucial.

"Good job Talonflame, now go around and use Steel Wing!" Ash said was Talonflame made for another pass at Pelipper.

"Quick Pelipper, use Bubblebeam!" Dean shouted. Pelipper shot out a stream of bubbles.

"Talonflame, start spinning and push through it!" Ash said. Talonflame then started spinning, still going right for Pelipper. The Bubblebeam hit Talonflame, but it's effectiveness was decreased from Talonflame's spinning Steel Wing. The attack had slowed Talonflame a little bit, but the flame Pokemon still slammed right into Pelipper dealing a good amount of damage.

The two Pokemon resetted at their end of the battlefield. Talonflame was a bit injured from the super effective Bubblebeam attack, but Pelipper looked worn out. Dean saw this and hesitated. Ash took this opprotunity to attack.

"Alright one more time Talonflame, Flame Charge!" Ash told his Pokemon. Talonflame once again engulfed itself in fire and zoomed right for Pelipper. Without Dean's guidance, Pelipper was struck again and slammed into the ground, fainted.

"Pelipper is unable to battle, Talonflame is the winner!" The referee declared. It took Dean a second, but then returned Pelipper to its pokeball.

"Hey Dean!" Ash shouted across the battlefield arena. Serena, Clemont, Sawyer, and Bonnie were wondering why Ash would stop the battle now. Dean looked over at Ash, he was still shaken by the atmosphere of the Pokemon League.

"Don't worry about the crowd or anything. It's just you and your Pokemon. Believe in them because they believe in you." Ash said. The crowd had quieted down and heard Ash's words.

"Even in a Pokemon League match, Ash still goes out of his way to help someone" Clemont said, astounded at Ash's actions.

"And that's why he's your boyfriend Serena!" Bonnie said giggling.

"Huh?!"

Serena looked around and saw Sawyer's mouth wide open. Her face went red with embarassment. Now Sawyer knew of their relationship.

"Bonnie! Why did you say that?!" Clemont said to his sister, scolding her for her outburst.

"Oopsie..." Bonnie said, not really sorry for what she did.

Back on the battlefield Dean took a second to embrace Ash's advice. He was right, this was like any other Pokemon battle he had before. Sure there were hundreds of people watching now, but he had to drown them all out of his thoughts.

"Will the red trainer please call out their 2nd Pokemon." The referee announced. Dean took out his 2nd Pokeball. Talonflame was a flying type, so Dean knew what Pokemon to use against it.

"Alright, c'mon out Manectric!" Dean said as he threw the pokeball out. The lightning wolf Pokemon jumped out, ready to battle.

"You ready Talonflame?" Ash asked his Pokemon, the fire bird turned and nodded its head. It wasn't going to back down.

"Alright then, Steel and Flying moves won't be good against Manectric, so lets start off with a Flame Charge!" Ash commanded and Talonflame dove right for Manectric, its body burning bright from the fire.

"Wait for it Manectric...and jump!" Dean said, waiting for the right moment. Manectric jumped over Talonflame as it almost struck. "Now use Thunderbolt!"

"Quick Talonflame, turn around and use Flare Blitz!" Ash said. He had hoped Talonflame's increased speed would be enough. Talonflame banked around and went for Manectric as it charged up its Thunderbolt. It was still in the air, so it couldn't dodge again.

"Now!" Dean yelled as Talonflame closed the distance. Manectric let loose its attack and it struck Talonflame point blank. The momentum from Talonflame was too much as it still slammed into Manectric. There was an explosion and both Pokemon fell to the ground. Manectric got up, still ready to battle, but Talonflame had fainted.

"Talonflame is unable to battle, Manectric is the winner." The referee called out.

Ash withdrew Talonflame. "You did great buddy, take a good rest" He said as he drew out his 2nd Pokemon.

"Alright, you're up Torterra!" Ash said as he called on his 2nd Pokemon. The massive Pokemon slammed into the ground, eager to start battling.

"Manetric, get ready. Torterra is part ground type so Electric moves won't work." Dean said to his Pokemon.

"Torterra, use Razor Leaf!" Ash commanded. Torterra fired off dozens of sharpened leaves right at Manectric.

"Manectric use Double Team!" Dean said. Manectric then multiplied into a 7 different copies. The Razor Leaf went at one of the Manectric, but it was a copy.

"Well let's take them all out them. Torterra use Frenzy Plant!" Ash called out. Torterra then glowed green and then roots came out of the ground, hitting all of the copies and the real Manectric.

"Oh no, Manectric. Are you ok?" Dean called out to his Pokemon. Manectric stood up, obviously injured from the strong grass attack. "Alright, Torterra can't move for a awhile. Run right up to it!" Dean commanded his Pokemon. Ash wondered what Dean was thinking. What move was Manectric going to use at point blank range.

"Now use Flamethrower!"

Ash, and the rest of the stadium gasped. Manectric opened its mouth and a stream of flame came out, engulfing Torterra in its fire.

"Torterra! Hang in there!" Ash shouted. It was his turn to be shocked. After the attack, Manectric jumped back to its side of the battlefield. Torterra shook of the rest of the flames, and stood strong, but it was visibly weakened from the strong fire attack.

"Good job Torterra, now counter with Earthquake!" Ash said, hoping to finish this round quickly. Torterra raised itself up on its hind legs and then slammed the ground with its front legs, delivering a strong Earthquake.

"Manectric hang in there!" Dean shouted, but soon Manectric fell down from the attack.

"Before it gets up, Razor Leaf!" Ash called out. Torterra again shot out two dozen leaves right at Manectric. Manectric, already injured from the Earthquake couldn't get up in time, and got hit by the Razor Leaf. Manectric was launched back, falling in front of Dean, fainted.

"Manetric is unable to battle, Torterra is the winner!" The referee called out. "The red trainer has one Pokemon left, while the green trainer still has two Pokemon."

Dean knelt down next to Manetric, petting it's golden fur. "You did good Manectric, I couldn't be more proud." He said as he returned the Pokemon to its Pokeball. Dean went back to his trainer's box and pulled out his final pokeball.

"Alright, it's all up to you buddy!" Dean said as he threw the Pokeball into the air. Another large Pokemon landed onto the battlefield. It was a Chesnaught, Dean's first and most powerful Pokemon.

"Alright Torterra, let's keep Chesnaught at a distance. Use Razor Leaf!" Ash said to his Pokemon. Torterra gave a war cry and let loose a hail of sharp leaves.

"Use your shield Chesnaught!" Dean commanded just before the Razor Leaf attack landed. The leaves embedded themselves into Chesnaughts shield, dealing no damage to the Pokemon.

"Now rush in and use Needle Arm!" Dean shouted. Chesnaught then sprinted towards Torterra. Ash was surprised at the speed of the large Pokemon.

"Quick, use Earthquake." Ash yelled, but before Torterra could launch it's attack, Chesnaught came in and attacked with it's Needle Arm. Torterra was launched backwards, but luckily landed on its feet.

"Now finish it off with Hammer Arm!"

Chesnaught once again rushed in. Ash knew Torterra wouldn't be able to get an Earthquake attack in time. It was all or nothing now.

"Use Leaf Storm! Everything you got!" Ash shouted.

Torterra's Leaf Storm had caught Chesnaught right before it landed its own attack. It had hit Chesnaught sqaure in the chest, launching the Pokemon across the battlefield. Ash looked at his own Pokemon. Torterra was panting, it was almost out of energy and to top it off, Leaf Storm had drained Torterra's attack potential.

Chesnaught was getting up it shrugged off the attack, but Ash knew that it was injured. Torterra would need time to rest, and Ash might need it later down the road.

"Torterra, return." Ash said as he recalled his Pokemon. "You did really good. Rest up, I might need you for one last effort."

Ash looked over at Dean and his Chesnaught. "Your Chesnaught is really strong Dean. You raised it really well." He said complimenting the opposing trainer.

"Thanks Ash, that means a lot." Dean said, humbled by Ash's words.

"Alright, let's do this. Greninja I choose you!" Ash said as he released his final Pokemon. Greninja landed on the battlefield, and stared down Chesnaught. It knew this was a powerful opponent.

"Greninja, Water Shuriken!"

 _ **Then follow up with an Aerial Ace!**_

Greninja jumped into the air and fired two Water Shurikens at Chesnaught. While Chesnaught was busy with the water attack, Greninja came in with an Aerial Ace. Chesnaught blocked the first Shuriken, and then knocked the second one away. It then looked back up to where it thought Greninja was.

"Wait, where is it?!" Dean shouted, looking around frantically. As he looked around, a shadow came out of the sun in the sky and slammed into Chesnaught, knocking it back several yards.

"Wow, how did it do that...you ok Chesnaught?" Dean asked his pokemon as it got up on its feet. Chesnaught nodded its head, staring down Greninja.

"Alright, it may be fast, but so are we. Use Needle Arm!" Dean commanded. Chesnaught charged Greninja closing the distance quickly.

"Double Team!" Ash said calmly. He was in sync with his Greninja like always. Greninja's Double Team was much stronger than Manectric's earlier. Instead of just 7 copies, about two dozen had appeared and had circled Chesnaught as it stopped in the middle of the battlefield.

"If we can't figure out which one is the real one, we'll just hit them all! Use Pin Missile on all of them!" Dean said to his Pokemon. Chesnaught gave a battle cry and launched a volley of green missiles.

The multiple Greninjas started to dodge the attacks. Some were destroyed by a Pin Missile, but most of them survived. As the copies were dodging, the real Greninja came in and attacked Chesnaught from behind using another Aerial Ace. Chesnaught was getting frustrated. It didn't like these sneak attacks.

"You need to calm down Chesnaught." Dean called out to his Pokemon. Chesnaught looked back and took a deep breath. Its trainer was correct, this was what Greninja wanted.

"Alright, now use Pin Missile again!" Dean said. Chesnaught launched another volley and destroyed the rest of the copies, even landing a hit on the real Greninja. However, the strength of Pin Missile was that multiple Missiles would hit a single target so since just one of them hit Greninja, it barely left a mark.

"Ok Greninja let's finish this. One more Aerial Ace!"

 _ **Chesnaught is going to use its shield. Jump over at the last second and launch a Water Shuriken from behind.**_

"Chesnaught use Spiky Shield!" Dean countered. Chesnaught raised its shield and large spikes came out of it now. Chesnaught braced for the attack but it never came.

"Behind you!" Chesnaught heard Dean say, but it was too late. Two Water Shuriken's had struck Chesnaught in the back. Chesnaught had leaned forward for the attack that it thought was coming, but the attack from behind had made it lose its balance. As Chesnaught fell on the ground, Greninja pounced on Chesnaught and struck it with one more Aerial Ace. Chesnaught had fainted.

"Chesnaught is unable to battle. With no more Pokemon, the winner of this match goes to Ash of Pallet Town!" The referee announced, a second later the crowd erupted in applause. But none were as loud as the small group of two boys and two girls that sat near in the front. Ash walked over to Dean who was kneeling down next to Chesnaught. It had recovered and was sitting up.

"Hey Dean. That was a great match." Ash said as he extended his hand. Dean stood up and accepted the handshake.

"Yeah it was. Thank you so much for helping me though, but...why did you help?" Dean asked. Ash gave a short laugh and scratched the back of his head.

"There really isn't a reason why Dean. I just felt like you were having some trouble, and believe me I was going through the same thing in my first tournament, and I just thought...If I can help you, why shouldn't I help? I mean sure you were my opponent, but making friends and helping out other people is more important." Ash said.

Dean looked at Ash in amazement. Even though he had lost, Ash had somehow made it feel alright. The two walked off the battlefield and into the Trainers Lounge. They gave their Pokemon to a Nurse Joy and walked out. Dean was met by his father and mother who were waiting.

"Oh I'm so proud of you Dean" The mother said as she embraced her son. The father went up to Ash and reached out his hand.

"Thank you Ash" He said.

"Huh? For what?" Ash asked, confused at what the father meant. Even then, Ash accepted the father's hand and shook it.

"You may have defeated my son, but from what I saw. You were encouraging him every step of the way. It takes a real man to fight with honor like that." He said as he let go. Dean and his parents said their farewells. Sadly they had to leave for Santulune City soon, but Dean promised Ash that he would be watching him throughout the tournament.

Ash met up with his friends a minute later in the main lobby. Serena ran over to him and hugged him. Ash had gotten used to Serena almost tackling him, so he was able to stay on his feet.

"You were amazing Ash." She said as he returned her embrace. Sawyer came up to Ash's side with his trusty little notebook in hand.

"Amazing? It was phenominal! I thought I've seen everything but you Ash, you keep on surprising me!" Sawyer said, barely able to keep up with his excitement.

Upon seeing Sawyer, Ash broke his hug with Serena, but Sawyer raised a hand. "It's ok Ash, I know" He said.

"Uh...you know?" Ash said timidly.

"Yep, all thanks to Bonnie for spilling the beans" Clemont said as looked at his sister.

"Sorry Sawyer, we were going to tell you, but we're kind of new to this." Ash said, trying to explain. Sawyer shook his head, "Oh, it's no problem Ash. Besides, you two make a great couple."

Ash and Serena blushed and looked away from Sawyer, but ended up looking at each other. The two had nowhere to else to look, so they stayed where they were smiling at each other with red cheeks.

"Oh yeah. Sawyer, your match should be in a couple of hours." Clemont said as he looked at the flyer in his hand.

The group decided to break for lunch at the Pokemon Center. After lunch Ash recieved his Pokemon, fully healed. Ash helped Sawyer with several last minute strategies and before they knew it, it was time for them to leave for the Green Stadium.


	22. Chapter 22: The Second Round

**Chapter 22: The 2nd Round**

Ash and company watched Sawyer's match at the Green Stadium. Sawyer was facing off against a young man named Henry. Though it was a tough match, Sawyer battled really well and won 3-1, only losing his Camerupt in the battle. His Salamence had done most of the heavy lifting, but Sawyer's Manectric had delivered the final blow. On the way back to the Pokemon Center, Sawyer still had his adrenaline pumping.

"I can't believe I won my first match. Did you see how my Salamence took two Pokemon out with it's Dragon Claw?!" Sawyer told the rest of the group. His speech was very rapid and excited. Ash and the rest simply sighed at their friends exuberance.

"You know we were watching in the front row, right?" Bonnie said.

"Oh yeah...right" Sawyer said, embarrassed a little bit. The group laughed together as they entered the Pokemon Center. They sat down at a booth on the side and waited on Sawyer to retrieve his Pokemon.

"Well, it's going to be hectic tomorrow." Clemont said as he looked at the flyer in his hands. The group looked at Clemont, waiting for him to explain.

"What do you mean?" Sawyer said as he returned to the booth. Clemont looked at the group and showed them the flyer.

"Ash, you're going to be battling in the Blue Stadium again, but Sawyer will be battling in the Yellow Stadium." Clemont said as the group looked at the flyer.

"Ok, what's the catch?" Serena asked.

"Ash will be battling in the 2nd round matches of the day at 11, and Sawyer will be battling in the 3rd round, at 12." Clemont explained. "So after Ash's match we'll have to rush over to watch your battle Sawyer."

"That also means I won't be able to watch your match Ash, at least not all of it." Sawyer said, a bit bummed.

"That also means we won't be able to get any good seats" Bonnie said, also bummed at the situation.

"Well at least we aren't battling at the same time." Ash said. "Don't worry Sawyer, I'll win my match then we'll watch you win yours."

Ash's confidence in him made Sawyer more pumped about tomorrow's matches. Clemont went away to start making their dinner along with Bonnie, leaving Ash and Serena with Sawyer. They stayed their in silence, listening to the news and what the other trainers there were saying. Ash decided to break the quiet.

"So how is your Camerupt? It took quite the beating when it fought against that Rhydon." Ash said. Sawyer looked at his Pokeball that contained his Camerupt.

"True, but if it weren't for Camerupt weakening Rhydon I don't think my Salamence or my Manectric would have been able to defeat it." Sawyer explained. Ash nodded at that.

"So, how long have you two been going out?" Sawyer asked. Serena blushed and looked away but Ash tilted his head in confusion.

"Going out? What does that mean?" He asked innocently. Serena and Sawyer both facepalmed at Ash's question.

"Ash...he means how long have we been boyfriend and girlfriend." Serena said, her hand still covering her face.

"Oh right. Well I guess it was the night we arrived here at the Pokemon League actually." Ash said.

"Wow, I thought it would be sooner." Sawyer said, Serena laughed a bit at his comment.

Clemont and Bonnie came back with all sorts of delicious food. Clemont had given both Ash and Sawyer's Pokemon a little extra for their performances earlier. After everyone was satisfied the group retired to their own rooms. Ash and Serena had their time in the living room but something was different. They didn't feel like they had plugged up their feelings during the day. After Ash's match, he had spent most of his time next to Serena. Even when they were cheering on Sawyer, they would still hold hands or Serena would lean on Ash. Even with Ash engrossed in Sawyer's battle, he still gave Serena attention which she loved.

Because of this they only stayed up a couple of more minutes talking about the day as they sat on the couch until they went to their own rooms.

The next day the group met Sawyer outside the Blue Stadium. Much to Sawyer's dismay, Ash had advised him to get ready for his match once his own match started.

"I appreciate the support Sawyer, but you need to focus on your own match." Ash said. Sawyer knew he was correct.

The group went to the entrance of the Trainer's Lounge. Here Ash was accepted entry but the others couldn't join. It was here that Sawyer said his goodbyes.

"Don't worry Sawyer, we'll head for your match when Ash is done with his." Clemont said.

"Heh, you better. I wouldn't want to win without you guys to watch me." Sawyer replied. Ash gave a faint laugh. He remembered the first time he had met Sawyer. The boy in front of him had grown up so much. Now that he had won his first match in the Pokemon League, he had new found confidence.

Sawyer went on his way to the Yellow Stadium. Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie stayed a bit longer giving Ash one last good luck. A Pokemon official came by and told Ash his battle would start in 5 minutes. Serena gave Ash a good luck peck on the lips before she gave him one last hug.

"You're going to do great Ash." She said as she let go.

Ash followed the official into the Trainer's Lounge. There he saw his next opponent. He was a tall boy around Ash's age. He had a hat covering most of his brown hair, along with a black shirt. Clemont had told Ash that his name was David.

"You must be David, nice to meet you" Ash said as he extended his hand. The other trainer looked at Ash then turned his head back and laughed.  
"For a second I thought you weren't going to show." David said. Ash gave a slight laugh. Something about this trainer didn't sit well with Ash.

"Yeah, sorry. I was outside for a bit with my friends." Ash said uneasy.

"Oh well that's disappointing. I guess I'll have to crush you in front of your friends." David said with a smirk. Pikachu, who was on Ash's shoulder was just waiting on Ash to tell it to use a Thunderbolt on the disrespectful trainer.

Before Ash could answer, the referee for their match entered from the far door. The referee escorted both trainers to the battlefield, with none of them saying a word. As Ash and David stood in the middle, Ash had a plan. He turned to David and offered his hand again.

"Let's have a great match." He said, but David laughed again and walked to his end of the arena. The crowd had seen this and several boos came from the stands. Ash would use that to get the crowd behind him.

"This 2nd round match will be a 3 on 3 Pokemon battle between Ash from Pallet Town, and David from Veilstone City." The referee stated as he took his place. He looked over at Ash.

"Green trainer, are you ready?"

Ash nodded as he pulled out his first pokeball. The ref then looked at David.

"Red trainer, are you ready?"

David didn't look at the ref, but answered that he was. The referee hesitated for a bit. A trainer needed to look at the referee to confirm that they were ready. After a moment David, annoyed, turned to the ref and gave a nod.

"Both trainers send out your first Pokemon!" The ref said as he raised both his flags.

"Alright Sceptile, let's go!" Ash said as he called out his first Pokemon.

"Let's wrap this up quick" David said as he tossed his Pokeball in the air. A Shiftry appeared, ready to battle. Ash saw this Shiftry had the same expression as David.

"It has been pre-determined that Ash will have the first move." The referee said, ""Let the battle begin!" He shouted as he lowered his flags.

"Alright Sceptile, use Leaf Blade!" Ash said. The leaves on Scpetile's arm glowed green and turned into sharp blades. It rushed toward Shiftry with great speed while Shiftry stood there.

"Shiftry, stop Sceptile in its tracks. Use Feint Attack." David called out. Shiftry moved with incredible speed. It ran up on Sceptile, ducked under the Leaf Blade and struck Sceptile square in the chest, sending it flying back.

"Sceptile, are you alright?" Ash asked as Sceptile stood back up. While the attack had looked painful, Sceptile took it very well.

"Alright, go in again with Leaf Blade!" Ash called out. Sceptile, trusting its trainer fully went in again with another Leaf Blade.

"Hmph, amatuer mistake. You still think that will work? Shiftry use Hurricane!" David shouted. Shiftry started spinning rapidly, and soon a cyclone of wind sprouted out and engulfed Sceptile. The force of the attack sent Sceptile upward, caught inside the storm.

Ash was caught off guard, but maybe he could use this to his advantage. Sceptile would just have to pull through this next attack.

"Stay calm Sceptile, wait for the opportunity to strike!" Ash shouted, trying to reach out to his Pokemon.

"Ha, there won't be a time to strike, my Shiftry can keep this attack up all day!" David said as he laughed at Ash.

Sceptile had heard Ash and begun to position itself. It flipped over so it was upside down, and located Shiftry at the bottom of the whirlwind. Even while spinning, Sceptile locked on to Shiftry.

"Alright, now use Focus Blast!" Ash yelled. It was David's turn to be caught off guard.

"Focus Blast? How?!" He said.

Before David could react, Sceptile had unleashed a yellow energy ball straight down. Shiftry never saw the attack coming as it landed right on top of its head. The super effective attack launched Shiftry back, and immediately the wind died down. Sceptile flipped back and landed on its feet, still standing strong. The crowd turned to look at Shiftry and it was still on the ground, fainted.

"Shiftry is unable to battle, Sceptile is the winner." The ref stated as he raised his green flag. The crowd erupted in applause, impressed at Ash's cool in the battle. David recalled his Shiftry and took out another Pokeball.

"Pfft, you won't get lucky again. Go Skarmory!" David said as he called on his 2nd Pokemon. Knowing that Sceptile was at a disadvantage, decided to call back his Pokemon.

"Sceptile return. You did real good. Take quick rest." Ash said to his Pokemon as he recalled it back into its Pokeball. Ash then turned to Pikachu at his feet.

"Alright buddy, you're up." Ash said to his partner.

"Pika!" The little electric mouse cried as it rushed onto the battlefield, sparks coming out of its cheeks.

"Alright Skarmory, time to catch the little rodent! Use Steel Wing!" David commanded. The steel bird swooped in low as its wings glowed white.

"Quick Pikachu, jump over and use Iron Tail!" Ash responded. Pikachu ran towards Skarmory as its tail glowed white and before they collided jumped over and struck Skarmory from above. The attack had almost knocked Skarmory into the ground, but it was able to recover in time. It flew around for another attack, this time from up high.

"Great job Pikachu, now use Thunderbolt!" Ash said as Pikachu landed back on the ground. Pikachu turned to face Skarmory and launched a devastating attack towards the steel bird. Skarmory at the last second dodged Pikachu's Thunderbolt and was able to hit Pikachu with its Steel Wing. As Skarmory flew back up, David lost sight of Pikachu.

"Wait, where did that rodent get to?!" He demanded. He looked up at his Skarmory and found his answer. Pikachu was holding on to one of Skarmory's wings.

"Awesome Pikachu! One more time, Thunderbolt!" Ash called out to his Pikachu. The point blank Electric attack was too much for Skarmory as it soon came crashing down, fainted. Right before it hit the ground, Pikachu jumped off and landed safely.

"Skarmory is unable to battle, Pikachu is the winner!" The ref called out, again raising his green flag. David was frustrated as he recalled his Skarmory.

"That David sure is getting what he deserves." Serena said from the stands. She hadn't heard of what happened in the Trainer's Lounge, but David's attitude before and during the battle had told her everything about him.

"That's for sure. Ash took out two of his Pokemon, and all of his Pokemon are ok." Clemont said, agreeing with Serena.

"Will the red trainer call out his final Pokemon!" The ref said, looking at over to David. He took out another Pokeball, and grinned.

"That's ok, I guess I'll just have to beat you with my best Pokemon!" David announced as he threw the Pokeball. The crowd, and even Ash, was surprised when they saw a Dragonite appear.

"Whoa, a Dragonite. Be careful Pikachu." Ash said. Though initially surprised, he regained his composure, ready to fight.

"Alright Dragonite, use Dragon Pulse!" David shouted. Dragonite opened its mouth and a large multi-colored beam went straight for Pikachu. The attack happened so fast, Pikachu barely had enough time to dodge it. However due to the power behind the attack, Pikachu was still sent flying. Dragonite continued the Dragon Pulse and this time scored a direct hit on Pikachu.

"Now, rush in for a Body Slam!" David said, not willing to give Pikachu any time to recover. Dragonite rushed over in an instant and slammed into Pikachu before it hit the ground.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried out as Pikachu landed several yards in front of him. Pikachu was badly hurt, barely able to get up under its own power. Before Pikachu could get hurt more, Ash decided to call it back.

"Pikachu that's enough. I'll take it from here." Ash said. David however was angry.

"Oh c'mon ref, that little rodent can't even battle anymore." He shouted towards the referee. The referee shook his head. Pokemon League rules stated that if a Pokemon could still stand, it could still battle.

"Well then, another attack will have to do! Dragonite use Hyper Beam!" David shouted.

"What?! No! I called back Pikachu!" Ash yelled. Pikachu was still a couple of yards in front of him with its back turned to Dragonite.

"Call off that attack now!" The referee demanded, but Dragonite had already charged up its attack.

"Oh no! Pikachu!" Serena cried out. The rest of the crowd braced itself as Dragonite's Hyper Beam fired.

Before Ash could run to Pikachu, a light came from his belt and moved in front of Pikachu and intercepted the attack. Ash shielded his eyes from the explosion.

As the dust settled, the crowd saw Charizard holding Pikachu in its arms. It had called itself from its Pokeball and protected Pikachu with its own body. It lowered Pikachu for Ash to hold, then turned toward Dragonite, snarling with rage and with fire in its eyes.

"This battle has been terminated. Due to an illegal attack on a non-battling Pokemon, David has forfeited the match!" The referee announced.

However Charizard didn't care. It rushed Dragonite who was still recovering from its Hyper Beam. Charizard arms glowed a bright green. In a split second it had crossed the battle field and struck Dragonite with a powerful uppercut Dragon Claw attack. The referee and everyone in the crowd watched, stunned as Dragonite was lifted a dozen yards into the air, then came crashing down, fainted. It had been knocked out with one rage induced attack.

It took several seconds for everyone to register what had just happened. The crowd exploded in thunderous applause, while David ran over to the referee.  
"You're going to disqualify me?! What about that attack? If the match was over, that was an illegal attack!" David said, pleading his case. The referee shook his head.

"Since the match had already been terminated, I have no authority to disqualify Ash from the tournament. You'll have to bring it up with a League official" The ref stated. The referee then walked over to Ash.

"Due to disqualification, you are declared the winner." He stated. "Though I guess I can also declare you the winner for knocking out all of his Pokemon." He said with a grin. Ash nodded and thanked him. Charizard came back to Ash and gave out a victory roar. The crowd applauded again while Ash heard several boos as David left the arena. Charizard bent his head down to check on Pikachu in Ash's arms.

"Pikachu" It said weakly with a smile.

"He's going to be ok thanks to you buddy." Ash said as he petted Charizard's head with a free hand.

"Ash!"

Ash turned to his left and saw Serena running towards him with Clemont and Bonnie behind her. Serena put her arms around Ash in a hug which he returned with his free hand. Serena then looked down at Pikachu, worried at the Pokemon's condition.

"I'm so glad you're ok Pikachu." She said as she placed her hand on Pikachu's head.

"Pika" It said as she scratched behind its ears.

"Aaaah, you were so awesome Charizard!" Bonnie said as she hugged Charizard. Ash laughed. He could see Charizard's ego getting bigger at Bonnie's compliment. Clemont went up to Ash, with a blue spray bottle.

"Here Ash, this is a Hyper Potion for Pikachu. It may not fully heal Pikachu, but it'll really help." Clemont said as he offered the Hyper Potion. Ash gladly accepted, and Clemont sprayed Pikachu with it.

After a couple of sprays Pikachu was visibly much better. They then left the battlefield, and exited the stadium. They went on their way to the Yellow Stadium to watch Sawyer's battle.

"Are you sure you don't need to go to the Pokemon Center?" Ash asked Pikachu. It had gotten better, but was still recovering. Pikachu was perched on Ash's shoulder now.

"Pikachu" It said, shaking its head.

"I think Pikachu wants to root for Sawyer." Serena said as she walked closely next to Ash. Pikachu confirmed this as it nodded its head.  
"Well ok, but after Sawyer's match you're going to the Pokemon Center, deal?" Ash said, finally giving in.

Due to the quick result of Ash's victory, the group arrived in their seats with fifteen minutes to spare. Clemont pulled out his flyer he had picked up earlier that day. Sawyer's opponent would be a young woman named Sarah from the Hoenn region. She was 17, but this was her first Pokemon League.

Ash saw that the Yellow Stadium's arena was littered with several rocks and boulders. Unlike the Blue Stadium's flat dirt terrain and the grass field in the Green Stadium.

The sun was at it's highest point in the sky when Sawyer walked out onto the battlefield along with his opponent, Sarah. They were following the referee to the middle of the battlefield where they shook hands and walked to their respective sides. The referee took his position on the sideline in the middle.

"This 2nd round match will be a 3 on 3 Pokemon battle against Sawyer from Littleroot Town, and Sarah from Rustboro City." The referee began, he then pointed at Sawyer.

"Green trainer, are you ready?"

Sawyer nodded. He already had his first Pokeball in hand. The ref then looked over at Sarah.

"Red trainer, are you ready?"

She gave a slight bow, signifying she was ready.

With that the battle began as both trainers released their first Pokemon. Sawyer had chosen his Slowbro, while Sarah unveiled an Umbreon.  
"Oh no" Both Clemont and Ash stated as they saw the match up.

"What's wrong?" Serena asked.

"Umbreon is a Dark type pokemon, while Slowbro is part Psychic." Ash responded.

"Yeah, and Dark moves are super effective while Psychic attacks have no effect on Dark types." Clemont explained. Serena looked towards Sawyer with worry. They saw Sawyer knew that as well as he looked nervous at the match up in front of him.

"It has been pre-determined that Sawyer will have the first move." The referee said, ""Let the battle begin!" He shouted as the battle began.

"Alright Slowbro, use Scald!" Sawyer called out. Slowbro unleashed a very hot stream of water right at Umbreon. The Dark type pokemon dodged the attack almost effortlessly.

"Good job Umbreon, now use Quick attack!" Sarah said and when she had called that out, the Pokemon zig-zagged with incredible speed, hitting Slowbro from the side. Even if Slowbro wasn't slow, there was no way it could have avoided the attack. Umbreon stopped on a rock above Slowbro.

"Now use Dark Pulse!"

"Quick Slowbro, use Scald!" Sawyer cried out.

Both attacks collided, cancelling each other out. The resulting explosion and steam blocked both Pokemons view from each other. Slowbro used this opprotunity to use Calm Mind, while Umbreon went in for another Quick attack.

"Great job Umbreon, it's weakening. Now use Dark Pulse!" Sarah said as Umbreon launched another dark attack.

"One more time Slowbro, use Scald!" Sawyer said. Both attacks collided again, but Slowbro's powered up attack won the encounter and Umbreon was hit by the attack. Sarah was caught off guard by Slowbro's increased power.

"Umbreon, take cover behind the large boulder to your right and use Moonlight!" Sarah commanded. Even though it was the middle of the day, the moon was still overhead and it would heal Umbreon from the previous attack. Slowbro would be too slow to come around and attack.

"Right where we want them Slowbro! Use Psychic!" Sawyer called out.

"But that doesn't affect Umbreon" Clemont said. Ash stayed silent. He knew that Sawyer knew this, so obviously Sawyer had something planned. Sarah grinned, thinking that Sawyer had made a beginner's mistake.

That grin went away once Sarah saw what was happening. Slowbro wasn't aiming for Umbreon itself with its attack, but at the rocks around Umbreon. Soon over a dozen rocks were floating in the air with a blue aura surrounding them. Umbreon was already using Moonlight and was stuck as it tried to soak in the energy.

"Oh no..." Was all Sarah could say as Slowbro fired the rocks at Umbreon. One by one they slammed into Umbreon until it landed in front of Sarah, fainted.  
"Umbreon is unable to battle. Slowbro is the winner." The referee announced. The crowd applauded at the unique way Sawyer had won.

"Wow, that was impressive. Looked like Sawyer's learned a lot from you." Serena said as she looked over at Ash. Ash moved his finger under his nose and blushed.

"Heh, I guess that's something I would do." He said. Clemont and Bonnie agreed.

Sarah returned her Umbreon and pulled out another pokeball.

"I'm counting on you Galvantula!" She said as a gaint yellow spider appeared. Serena grabbed Ash's arm, almost jumping out of her seat from the sight of the Electric Bug.

"What's the matter Serena? Scared of the little spider?" Ash said jokingly. Serena shook her head frantically.

"You call that little?!" She said, her eyes wide with irrational fear.

"Haha, it's ok Serena. I won't let it get you." Ash said. He had said it as a joke, but Serena shifted closer and held on to his arm more tightly.

On the battlefield Sawyer was weighing his options. Being a Water and Psychic type, Slowbro had an overwhelming disadvantage against Galvantula. He couldn't switch out to his Sceptile since it would be at a disadvantage though Sawyer believed Sceptile would win.

"Slowbro return." He decided to switch to his other Pokemon. One that had an advantage over bugs.

"C'mon on out Doublade!" Sawyer called out as the twin sword Pokemon appeared on the battlefield.

"Excellent choice. Being a Ghost and Steel type, Doublade is well suited to defend against any Bug type attacks." Clemont remarked.

"Alright Galvantula bring down the Thunder!" Sarah called out. Galvantula unleashed a massive lightning bolt that shot straight up, then came crashing down. It looked like Doublade was going to get hit.

"Use Shadow Sneak!" Sawyer called out. Doublade vanished in a puff of black smoke. The Thunder attack left a crater where Doublade had just been. Galvantula looked around for its opponent but it never saw it before it was too late. Doublade reappeared behind Galvantula and slashed twice hitting Galvantula for good damage.

"It's fast for a Doublade, alright Galvantula slow it down. Use Sticky Web!" Sarah commanded. Galvantula then spun a golden web that spread across the entire field. Though Doublade was hovering over the web, it still felt the effects of it.

"Good work Galvantula, now let's try this again. Use Thunder!"

Galvantula again shot out a powerful bolt of lightning that went right for Doublade. Being slowed down by the Sticky Web attack, Doublade couldn't dodge the attack in time. The Thunder left another crater, but this time Doublade was in the middle of it, fainted.

"Wow, that's one strong Pokemon" Ash said, impressed that it could take out Doublade in one attack. Sawyer returned Doublade to its Pokeball, praising it for a job well done.

"Alright, let's go Sceptile!" He shouted as he released his third Pokemon. Sawyer's signature pokemon landed on the battlefield, ready for battle but when it landed the effects of the Sticky Web started.

"It's alright Sceptile, we're still faster. Now use Dragon Pulse!" Sawyer said. Sarah grinned at Sawyer's mistake.

"Jump up Galvantula and use Bug Buzz!" Sarah said with confidence. Galvantula jumped skyward, dodging the Dragon Pulse. Sarah then noticed Sawyer smiling as Galvantula launched it's attack, sending a powerful Bug type attack at Sceptile.

"Now Sceptile, use Aerial Ace!" Sawyer called out. Sceptile used its naturally strong legs to jump out of the Sticky Web and dodged the Bug Buzz.

Galvantula was falling and had no chance to dodge. In one quick swipe, Sceptile struck Galvantula in the back. It was sent straight down and crashed into the ground, making its own crater, fainted.

"Galvantula is unable to battle. Sceptile is the winner." The referee called.

"Ha. It looks like Sawyer's Sceptile learned a thing or two from Greninja." Ash said, remembering how Sceptile had been on the receiving end of several Aerial Aces before. Serena gave a sigh of relief once Galvantula had returned to its Pokeball.

"Will the red trainer please send out their last Pokemon." The referee called out. Sarah nodded and tossed out her final Pokemon.

"C'mon out Bastiodon!" Sarah said as she called out the Shield Pokemon. It landed with a giant thud, shaking the ground. Sawyer knew that being a part Steel type Pokemon, the advantage of Grass type moves was negated. Also, Bastiodon was a Pokemon that had near impenetrable defenses. He still had Slowbro that could use its powerful Special Attacks to get around that.

Sceptile, sensing Sawyer's indecision called out to him. Sawyer looked up at Sceptile; its eyes were piercing. It wanted to test itself against Bastiodon. Sawyer smiled, he always admired Sceptile's competitive nature.

"Alright Sceptile. Let's test our blades against this wall. Use Leaf Blade!" Sawyer said. Sceptile rushed Bastiodon at high speed.

"Use Iron Defense" Sarah called out. Sceptile struck Bastiodon with several strong slashes, but Bastiodon didn't even flinch.

"Get behind it and attack with Leaf Storm!" Sawyer commanded. Bastiodon's defenses were impressive, but only in the front. Sceptile ran towards Bastiodon again but jumped over it, getting behind it.

"Use Stone Edge!" Sarah said as Sceptile went over Bastiodon. A single glowing rock shot out of the ground behind Bastiodon and struck Sceptile. The surprise attack stopped Sceptile's own attack and sent it flying, landing next to Sawyer. Sceptile slowly got up. The Stone Edge attack had knocked the air out of Sceptile, but it was still willing to fight. Sarah used Sceptile's slow recovery to her advantage.

"Alright Bastiodon, use Metal Sound." She said. Bastiodon let out a high pitched metallic screech. The attack hit Sceptile, making it cover its ears in pain.

"Push through it Sceptile. Jump over Bastiodon get behind it!" Sawyer shouted over the Metal Sound. Sceptile rushed through the attack and leaped over Bastiodon. Sarah smiled; this was the mistake she was waiting for. She was going to punish her opponent's foolishness to try and attack Bastiodon from behind.

"Use Stone Edge! Stop Sceptile again!" Sarah called out.

"Use Leaf Blade! Cut through that Stone Edge!" Sawyer shouted.

Bastiodon shot another glowing rock towards Sceptile. This time however, Sceptile was ready and slashed through the Stone Edge attack.  
"Now use Leaf Storm with everything you got!"

Sceptile landed on the ground behind Bastiodon. It turned its tail toward the Shield Pokemon and unleashed a heavy stream of leaves. Bastiodon was unable to turn around in time and was hit with the full force of Sceptile's Leaf Storm.

The weight of Bastiodon kept itself on the ground. It slowly turned around to face the Leaf Storm head on.

"Good job Bastiodon. Now charge through and use Iron Head!" Sarah called to her Pokemon. Bastiodon then started to run toward Sceptile. Though slow at first, it began to pick up speed.

"Sceptile dodge and use Brick Break!" Sawyer said as Bastiodon neared Sceptile. It stopped its Leaf Storm at the last second and jumped. Sceptile turned itself over in the air as Bastiodon ran underneath it. Sceptile's arm began to glow white and then in one quick and powerful swing, struck Bastiodon's head from behind. Bastiodon lost its balance and skidded to a stop, fainted.

"Bastiodon is unable to battle. With no more Pokemon, the winner of this match goes to Sawyer of Littleroot Town!" The referee announced. Ash and company sprang to their feet applauding at Sawyer's tremendous victory. Bonnie tugged at Ash's arm, getting his attention.

"You better watch out Ash. You may have taught Sawyer a thing or two too much." She said with a laugh. Ash joined in on the laugh. "Oh, I didn't teach him everything." He said with a grin.

The group went to the front entrance to meet Sawyer. Serena grabbed Ash aside to show him tomorrow's matches.

"You see, since there isn't as many matches you and Sawyer will be done before noon tomorrow." Serena said as she pointed at the screens. The tournament had brought the 64 competitors down to 16 in two rounds.

"Yeah. That means Sawyer and I can train a little bit in the afternoon." Ash said. Serena grabbed Ash's hand, making him turn towards her. He was shocked to see her looking down.

"Hey Serena, what's wrong?" Ash asked. He turned his body toward her. He lifted her chin with his free hand, but her eyes were still down.

"Well..." She started, "I was hoping we could use that time to spend some time together and..." Serena trailed off, unable to finish.

"And what Serena? You know you can tell me anything." Ash told her.

"Well we're together now, but we haven't had a date yet, and I was hoping we could..." She said, but again trailed off. She knew how important this tournament was to Ash. She didn't want to interfere with it, but it was hard for her to not be the tiny bit selfish.

"Yeah that sounds great."

Serena looked up at Ash, surprised at Ash's sudden answer.

"Really?"

Ash gave his signature grin before giving Serena a quick kiss on the lips.

"Of course. Besides, my Pokemon have been training and battling every day for weeks. Remember what you said to me a long time ago? 'Sometimes taking a break can go a long way to focus your training'"

Serena blushed and hugged Ash. He returned the embrace. As they rejoined the group, a thought came to Ash. He turned toward Serena.

"So...what do people do on dates?"


	23. 23: Ash and Serena's Second First Date

**Chapter 23: Ash and Serena's Second First Date**

Ash and Sawyer's battles were in the morning. Ash had defeated his opponent in a 3-1 victory thanks to his Talonflame. It had taken out both of the opponents Pokemon before Greninja was switched out to finish off the third. Sawyer's battle was much closer, a 3-2 victory. His Salamence was taken out early due to a surprise Fairy attack, but Camerupt had brought it back to 2-2. The last Pokemon for the Opponent was a Golem and it took out Camerupt. Sawyer's last Pokemon was supposed to be Manectric but due to the overwhelming disadvantage he had to use Sceptile. It had easily beaten Golem, but Sawyer was worried since now he couldn't use Sceptile in the last preliminary round.

Both Ash and Sawyer made it to the 4th round. Ash's last 3 Pokemon team would be Pikachu, Charizard, and Sceptile, while Sawyer's would be Manectric, Slowbro, and Doublade. They had retired to the Pokemon Center for lunch where they and their Pokemon rested.

"You know, since this is the final preliminary round before the 6-6 battles, why not have Noivern and Hawlucha around just in case Ash?" Clemont asked as they cleaned up after the meal. Ash paused and thought about it. It wasn't such a bad idea. Sawyer had changed up his team due to the situation. It would be a good idea to have his two other Pokemon just in case.

"Good thinking Clemont. After we clean up, I'll exchange Torterra and Talonflame for them." Ash said as he wiped down the table.

"They haven't had a battle for days. Let's go to one of the practice fields to train." Sawyer said. Serena, who was in the kitchen, overheard Sawyers suggestion. She stayed out of sight at the edge of the door, awaiting Ash's answer.

"That would be great, but I have some stuff I have to do today." Ash replied.

"What stuff?" Sawyer asked. Clemont and Bonnie were wondering too. What could be more important to Ash then training, especially now.

"You see..." Ash said, his hand scratching behind his head. "Serena and I are going to spend the afternoon together." He said sheepishly.

"Ooooh! You two are going on a date!" Bonnie exclaimed. Ash blushed but nodded his head.

Serena gave a sigh of relief and smiled. Her face went red thinking about the date. She had gone out early in the morning before the matches to find a perfect spot for a date. She found a secluded spot a few minutes outside the village. It was a clearing with a crystal clear lake. There was a lone tree on a small cliff overlooking the lake which is where she chose as the spot.

Serena composed herself, then walked out of the kitchen to the rest of the group. Their area was cleaned so Serena went to pick up her bag and she went off to her room.

"Hey Serena where you going?" Ash asked. Serena stopped and turned her head.

"Well I got to get ready for our date now don't I?" She said with a wink that made Ash's face turn a slight red. Bonnie couldn't help but giggle.

"Don't worry. I won't be long" She said as she continued to her room.

"What do you need to get ready for?" Ash said to himself.

During that time, Ash exchanged his Pokemon and retrieved Noivern and Hawlucha. After explaining Clemont's plan on having them in reserve just in case, he entrusted his Pokemon to Clemont, even Pikachu which he gave to Bonnie.

"Serena wanted us to be alone, so you guys have fun with Clemont, Bonnie, and Sawyer alright?" Ash said to his Pokemon. All of them nodded, but Charizard gave a laugh.

"You ready Ash?" A voice said behind Ash.

"Yeah, I was wondering when..." Ash said as he turned around, but lost his words as he saw Serena before him. She wore a light pink sundress with a matching pink hat with a flower on it. It was a simple outfit, but it was perfect for Serena.

Serena noticed Ash's pause and giggled, though her face blushed. Ash didn't say anything but she knew he loved how she looked. She took out her three pokeballs and released Braixen and Sylveon from their pokeballs to join the other Pokemon. The third Pokeball was the Medical Ball that still held Pancham. She went over to Bonnie and released the small panda Pokemon.

Pancham was much better now. It still had the cast on its arm, but any day now Nurse Joy would give the go ahead to remove it.

"Bonnie, would you take care of Pancham for me while we're gone?" Serena asked. Bonnie accepted immediately as she took the Medical ball.

Serena went over to Ash and grabbed his hand.

"Well Ash? Are you ready?" She said with a laugh. Ash snapped out of his trance and smiled.

"Yes, I am. You...look amazing." He said. Serena gave Ash a kiss on the cheek and grabbed his hat.

"Hey what are you doing?" Ash said as he went for his hat, but Serena had thrown it to Bonnie who caught it.

"You look better without it anyway." Serena said as she went to the exit, bringing Ash with her. Ash at first wanted to get his hat, but if Serena thought he looked better without it, he would oblige.

The two walked hand in hand together through the village. They could hear a battle going on in the Red Stadium as the crowds cheered on their competitors. Ash didn't know where they were going but let Serena lead the way. She seemed like she knew where they were going.

"You know...this reminds me of something." Ash said as they neared the edge of the village. Serena who had been enjoying their walk together looked over at Ash.

"Of what?" She asked. Ash turned to look at Serena, their faces just a foot apart.

"Of that one time in Coumarine City during the Pledging Tree Festival." Ash said. It was the time when he and Serena went out together, and alone, to find gifts for their Pokemon.

Serena had been thinking of the same thing as well. She had wanted that time to be their first date, but it just wasn't meant to be at the time. Serena wanted to spend time with Ash shopping, but at every turn Ash would be somewhere else checking out a different store.

"Yeah, I remember that. I also remember you going off somewhere and leaving me all alone." Serena teased with a smile. Ash laughed sheepishly. He had not noticed it at the time, but looking back and knowing how Serena felt about him, made him see how much he had frustrated her.

"Yeah...sorry about that." Ash finally said.

"It's ok, now this can be our first official date." Serena said as she moved closer to Ash and rested her head on Ash's shoulder.

They walked through a thin forest for a couple of minutes. The roar from the stadiums died down, and soon Ash and Serena could hear nothing but the sound of a few distant wild Pokemon.

Ash was about to ask where they were going until he saw the lake. They stopped at the edge of the clearing, admiring the beauty of the scene before them.

"Wow Serena, this place is great." Ash said as he surveyed the area. A few water pokemon could be seen swimming, and Ash could see several bird Pokemon perched on the trees surrounding the lake.

"C'mon Ash, this way." Serena said as she led Ash up the hill to the spot overlooking the lake. There was a lone tree at the top. It provided plenty of shade and an amazing view of the surroundings.

The couple stopped under the tree, admiring the view. Serena looked around, but then noticed Ash was actually looking at her.

"What is it Ash? Did I get something in my hat?" She asked as she took off her hat.

"Nothing, just admiring the view." He said lightly. Serena's heart fluttered. She had made the effort to find this place, and it was beautiful but Ash was looking at her instead. Before she could react, Ash went in and kissed Serena. She dropped her hat and wrapped her arms around his neck as he drew her close.

They stayed there for a few minutes, only taking a few quick breaks to catch their breath. During another breath break, Serena paused.

"It's good to finally have some alone time Ash." She said. They had stopped kissing but were leaning on each other's foreheads.

"Yeah. I really needed this Serena." Ash replied. Serena had noticed how stressed Ash had been the week before, and now during the tournament. She did not; however, know how much stress Ash was actually under. Their times together at night had calmed him down enough to sleep, but every day Ash felt restless.

Serena laid her bag down and took out a rolled up sheet. She unrolled it and placed it on the ground like a blanket. She sat down on one side and motioned for Ash to sit next to her.

"Care to join me Ash?" She said with a wink. Ash didn't waste any time sitting down next to her. He leaned back a bit, and admired Serena's beauty. It was strange seeing her like this. He had travelled with her for almost a year, and yet only recently had he started to notice just how beautiful she was.

"You look really great today Serena." Ash said. Serena looked down from embarrassment. She was going to need some time to get used to Ash's compliments.

"Well you look really handsome today." Serena said as she looked back at Ash. His hair, though not tidily kept, gave Ash a unique look that Serena loved. She remembered when she brushed his hair just two weeks ago. Though she didn't admit it at the time, Serena had actually liked Ash's hair as it was and not when it was brushed. He just had to look presentable since they were going to the Le Wow Restaurant.

"Really? I'm the same as always am, just without my hat now." Ash said. He felt bad that he didn't change into something better, but he didn't have any casual clothes for the occasion.

"That just means you've always been handsome" Serena said giggling. Ash loved it when Serena smiled, but when she would laugh he couldn't help it. He went in for another kiss.

They layed down next to each other, just happy to be there with each other. Ash felt all the stress go away. He didn't have a care in the world anymore. Serena initially was very excited. Her heart was beating fast and her chest was burning. Her cheeks were warm and her free hand was shaking. But after awhile, she calmed down and snuggled closer to Ash.

They soon dozed off next to each other. Serena had placed her head on Ash's chest while Ash cradled her. They slept for just over an hour before Ash woke up. The sun was still high in the sky but was noticeably lower. He looked down at Serena on his chest. He could feel her breathing softly.

The moment Ash was in was surreal. Serena had been his childhood friend. Though he had not recognized her at first, he had remembered their time together as kids. Serena had been his first true friend, even more so than Gary who was actually nice as a kid. While other kids didn't like how Ash spent so much time searching for wild Pokemon, Serena didn't mind.

After he had found her in that forest during Professor Oak's summer camp, they had become good friends, almost inseparable for the rest of the camp. Though Serena didn't like Pokemon as much as Ash, she felt safe with him. He found out that Serena lived in on the other side of Pallet Town. After the camp, he would go over and they would have fun together.

Ash also remembered his first goodbye. It was only a couple of months after the summer camp that Serena moved away. Her mother Grace, as a Ryhorn racer, moved to Kalos to start up the Ryhorn racing circuit there. Ash's mom told him that they would visit them soon, but the opportunity never came and Ash never heard from Serena.

Ash was so thankful that they were able to reunite after so long. It had been just over 8 years since they had last seen each other. Since their relationship had become more, Ash hated himself at not recognizing Serena when they first met in Kalos.

That however, didn't matter. He was here now, holding a sleeping Serena in his arms. His heart burned, but Ash felt great. It was a feeling he was still getting used to, but this was the strongest it had felt. Serena started to stir. Ash stared into her eyes as they opened.

"Huh? Did I doze off?" She asked weakly. Ash laughed a bit, which made Serena notice where she was. She raised herself off of Ash's chest, her cheeks red and her eyes wide.

"Oh sorry, didn't mean to sleep on you." Serena said. She was clearly flustered, which just added to her cuteness to Ash. He gave her a smile and shook his head.

"No it's fine. It was nice." Ash said. Serena used that as an invitation, so she layed back down and snuggled next to Ash who wrapped his arms around her again.

They stayed there for a minute until they heard a small grumble. They both looked at Ash's stomach and laughed.

"Are you hungry already?" Serena asked, still amazed at Ash's unending appetite.

"Well you did tell me to have a light lunch, so I guess I got hungry quicker." Ash said in his defense.

Serena got up and opened her bag. She pulled out a bag that had several of Ash's favorite PokePuffs. Ash sat up, smelling the sweet scent of the desserts. Ash ate two of them while Serena slowly ate half of one. Ash had leaned up against the tree, and Serena soon joined him.

 _ **Are you ready Ash?**_

Ash was taken aback when his mind just remembered what Clemont had asked him a couple of nights ago. Though Ash didn't know it, the news was already stating that Ash was one of the frontrunners to win the Kalos League. There was only one or two trainers that had performed as well as Ash did so far.

Ash was wondering if he did in fact win the Kalos League, and gained the right to challenge the Elite Four and Diantha, the champion, would he be able to win. Clemont had asked for arguments sake, that what would Ash do if he were to face against Diantha for the championship.

If he did win, and attain the title of Kalos Champion, what would happen to him and Serena. Sure Serena hadn't won against Aria and wasn't Kalos Queen, but would they be able to see each other as much as they would like if he had responsibilities as Champion.

"Ash? What's wrong?" Serena had noticed Ash was thinking about something. She put down the rest of her Pokepuff.

"Serena, you remember that thing I said we needed to talk about?" Ash asked, he didn't want to talk about it, but felt it had to be done.

"You mean from a couple of nights ago? You said that you had something to talk about, but later said that you would talk about it when the time was right." Serena said. She remembered that night after Clemont had talked to Ash. The topic was clearly important and it seemed to bother Ash a lot so Serena didn't push for it. She knew Ash would tell her when the time was right.

"It's about if I become Champion." Ash said as he looked down at the ground.

"Already looking forward to your battle with Diantha? I know you're confident Ash, but that's still a way to go." Serena said with a kind sarcastic tone.  
"It's not about that, it's about...what would happen with us." Ash said.

Serena was about to ask why that would be so important, but then remembered about Cynthia. Her duties as the Sinnoh Champion made it so she didn't have a lot of free time on her hands. She also knew of how bad Ash felt when she was about to compete for the Kalos Queen title. Now their situation was reversed and now Ash would be battling to become Kalos Champion. The difference was that if he won against Diantha, there was no turning down the duties and responsibilities.

"Oh..." Was all Serena could get out. She had every bit of confidence in Ash to make it all the way, even to Diantha and that was what worried her now.

"You shouldn't let anything hold you back from your dreams Ash." Serena said with a clear sad tone that even Ash noticed.

"What if that thing that was holding me back was another dream?" Ash asked. He grabbed Serena's hand in his own. Erasing any doubt that Ash had meant that Serena was his other dream.

"I don't know..." Serena said. She knew where this would be going. She didn't want to let Ash decide between her and becoming a Pokemon Master. It was his dream for as long as he could remember.

"Well I do." Ash said. Serena looked up at Ash's sudden tone.

"I'm going to try my hardest to become Champion"

Serena's heart sank. Ash had decided, and it wasn't her.

"And I'm going to spend every moment not being Champion to be with you."

As quickly as her heart sank, it rose back up. Ash was determined to make it work. Their situation wasn't as bad as Cynthia and Aria's problem. They were needed in their own respective regions, but if Ash became Champion of Kalos, they would be in the same region.

Ash would be the lead representative of the Kalos region for all trainers, be in charge of the Elite Four, and help organize each years tournament as long as he was Champion. It seemed very busy, but it wouldn't be that time consuming...would it? Serena didn't care at that moment. They would get to that crossroads if and when they got to it, and Serena knew Ash would keep his word. She sat closer to Ash and rested her head on his shoulder.

They stayed there in silence, just enjoying each other's company as the sun continued to get closer to the horizon.

"I really enjoyed this Serena" Ash said. His chin resting on Serena's head, his cheek in her hair.

"Me too Ash. I love you" Serena answered.

"I love you too." Ash said without hesitation.

The wind started to pick up, blowing Serena's hat off. Ash noticed Serena's hat blowing away. He ran to it and grabbed it before it went over the cliff into the lake.

"Careful Ash!" Serena said as Ash stood at the edge. Ash looked down and smiled. "Ah, it's fine Serena, don't worry." Ash walked back to Serena and gave the hat back. He sat down against the tree next to Serena.

"You know, we should come back here another time and go swimming." Ash said. Serena thought about it. It wasn't such a bad idea.

"Yeah that would be great. You think we should invite Clemont and Bonnie too?" Serena asked. Ash nodded, it would be like the many times they had camped out next to a lake during their adventures.

"Oh course, along with Sawyer too." Ash responded. Serena nodded, it was settled then. Serena looked at the sky and saw it slowly turning orange.

"But we should go back. I didn't bring anything for dinner." Serena said. As soon as she said that, she heard Ash's stomach rumble again. She raised her head to go, but Ash didn't move.

"Just 5 more minutes?" He asked. Ash didn't need to ask twice, Serena sat back down and nudged closer to Ash. Serena looked up at Ash with a grin.  
"It's not like you Ash to put off food for 5 more minutes." She said, trying to stop herself from laughing.

"I'll live." Ash replied with his own smile.

The 5 minutes were up sooner then both of them would like, but the two packed up their stuff and went back to the village hand in hand. The matches of the day were over but the village was still buzzing with excitement. They met up with Clemont and Bonnie at the Pokemon Center who welcomed the couple back.

"Hey, where's Sawyer?" Ash asked as they reunited with most of their Pokemon. He also noticed that his Charizard, Greninja, and Sceptile weren't there either.

"Oh, Sawyer went out to one of the practice fields to train. It seemed your Charizard, Greninja, and Sceptile wanted to tag along." Clemont explained. They went as a group to find Sawyer.

As they went to one of the practice fields they found Sawyer walking towards them. He seemed exhausted. Sawyer saw them and waved to them.

"Oh hey guys. We just finished our training." Sawyer said as they met. He pulled out three pokeballs from his bag and gave them to Ash.

"Here you go Ash. Your Pokemon wanted to train as well, so they helped out." Sawyer explained.

They went back to the Pokemon Center and healed Sawyer and Ash's Pokemon that trained. Clemont cooked up dinner for the group as they waited.

Ash and Sawyer went to one of the television screens in the lobby. It was showcasing the match previews for tomorrow. The 4 matches to be played in the Quarterfinals would be held in the Blue and Red Stadiums. Sawyer and Ash were both placed to battle in the Red Stadium, with Sawyer going first and then Ash in the second match.

Sawyer's opponent was a man in his 30's. A man named Duran, he was deeply tanned with black hair, the man had a presence of authority around him. It definitely showed as his third round match was finished in under 5 minutes. He had only used one Pokemon, a Tyranitar to defeat the opponent's three. It had gone up against both Water and Fighting types but they never had a chance. And since that was Tyranitar's first match, Sawyer would definitely be battling against it tomorrow.

Ash's opponent was a young lady just a couple of years older than he. Her name was Cindy and she had been seen using an Altaria, Breloom, and a Mawile, but those Pokemon had already been used twice. In her third round match, she had used a Jolteon and a Flygon but her third Pokemon was still a mystery.

Ash could sense the nervousness from Sawyer as he saw the replay of Duran's match. He placed a hand on Sawyer's shoulder, "Hey don't worry about that Tyranitar Sawyer." Ash began to say, but Sawyer shook his head.

"But I don't have any Pokemon that I can use against Tyranitar. My Manectric can't do anything against Ground. Slowbro is weak to Dark attacks, as well as Doublade." He said, convincing himself that he couldn't win. Ash turned Sawyer around, not giving up on the young trainer.

"When has type advantage meant anything? Besides, your Slowbro is still strong against Ground types, so it's a balanced match. But aren't you forgetting something?" Ash asked. Sawyer looked up at Ash. He had looked over his notebook a thousand times today. What was he missing.

"You still have a Pokemon that is strong against Tyranitar." Ash explained. Sawyer's eyes widened. He DID have a Pokemon that could stand up against a Tyranitar. Sawyer ran off to the back corner of the lobby where he went to transfer one of his Pokemon. When Sawyer returned, dinner was ready and everyone enjoyed another great meal.

Upon both Serena and Clemont's instruction, both Ash and Sawyer had an early night. Both of their opponents seemed tough, so they would need their energy for tomorrow.

 **Narrator note: So Ash has had a most needed rest from everything that has happened the past three weeks. Most of all, he had told Serena that if he did win and become Champion, he would do everything in his power to spend time with her. But that's still a long way to go. Ash has to get ready for his third round match tomorrow, and it won't be easy.**


	24. Chapter 24: Sawyer's Test

**Chapter 24: Sawyer's Test**

The sun was almost at its highest when Sawyer walked out onto the arena floor. He was walking next to a tall man with broad shoulders and black hair. It was his opponent Duran. Sawyer went to his side of the arena, the green side.

Ash and company knew what side Sawyer would be on, so they were able to get front row seats directly behind Sawyer. They cheered Sawyer on as he entered the Trainer's box. Sawyer saw his friends there, and it gave him renewed hope that he would be able to stand a chance. It would be a team effort from all of his Pokemon.

"This will be a three on three pokemon battle. When all of one trainer's Pokemon are unable to battle, the other will be declared the victor. Both trainers are allowed substitutions." The referee stated for all to hear.

"Green trainer, Sawyer are you ready?" As he pointed to Sawyer. He gave a nod as he grabbed his first pokeball.

"Red trainer, Duran are you ready?" Duran simply nodded. He had no expression on his face as he stood there.

"Both trainers send out your first Pokemon!" The ref told the two trainers.

"Alright Doublade, C'mon out!" Sawyer said as he called out his first Pokemon.

"Tyranitar, stand ready!" Dean shouted as his first Pokemon sprang from its Pokeball.

Tyranitar stood tall, towering over Doublade, but the Ghost Sword Pokemon stayed where it was, pointing both of its blades toward Tyranitar.

"It has been pre-determined that Duran will have the first move" The referee stated, "Let the battle begin!" He said as he lowered his flags.

As soon as the ref had said that, the ground started to shift. All the dirt was spiraling around Tyranitar as it activated its special ability. In mere seconds, a raging sandstorm had engulfed the battlefield.

"Use Stone Edge" Duran commanded his Pokemon. Sawyer was unable to hear Duran's attack due to the sandstorm and before he knew it, giant stones pierced upward and struck Doublade.

"Are you alright?!" Sawyer called out to his Pokemon over the sandstorm. Doublade was able to recover, but it was still straining against the fury of sand whirling around it.

"Don't worry about the storm and use Swords Dance!" Sawyer called out.

"Hmm, trying to set something up? Not going to happen, Tyranitar use Crunch!" Duran ordered.

"Wait, he wants he Pokemon to bite swords?!" Bonnie said as Tyranitar rushed Doublade with impressive speed. Doublade had just finished its Swords Dance as Tyranitar lunged forward.

"Now quick! Shadow Sneak!" Sawyer shouted. Doublade fell to the ground and disappeared into a dark hole that had appeared. Tyranitar stumbled forward as it missed its prey. It looked around for the Sword Pokemon, but couldn't find it.

"Stay calm Tyranitar, it'll have to come out eventually." Duran called out. And soon enough, Doublade appeared on Tyranitar's right. Doublade successfully struck Tyranitar but the attack was partially blocked, leaving little damage.

"Payback!" Duran called out without missing a beat. Before Doublade could recover Tyranitar came behind it and rammed into it with a super effective Dark attack.

"And that finishes that fight." Duran calmly stated.

The crowd looked at Doublade as it crashed into the ground. Everyone was awaiting the ref to make the call. But before the ref could see Doublade's condition, Sawyer yelled.

"Sacred Sword!"

Doublade rose from the ground with a dark red glow surrounding both blades. In a blink of an eye, Doublade zoomed toward Tyranitar like two crimson arrows. Doublade smacked directly into Tyranitar's chest and launched it backwards.

"Pay it back Tyranitar!" Duran shouted, frustrated at the super effective move that hit his Pokemon. Tyranitar stepped back, putting some space between itself and Doublade, then struck Doublade with one of its arms. The twin sword landed on the ground with a thud, fainted.

"You did fantastic Doublade. Now take a good rest." Sawyer said as he returned Doublade. The sandstorm had begun to die down, but was still up. Sawyer looked at Tyranitar, it stood strong but there were two large blackened marks on its chest where Doublade had landed its attack. It didn't matter how strong Tyranitar was. Sawyer knew that Sacred Sword had dealt some massive damage.

"I must give you credit Sawyer." Duran said. With the sandstorm dying down, Sawyer was now able to hear Duran.

"It's been awhile since my Tyranitar has been hit that hard." Duran stated. Ash smiled; he was glad there was still honorable trainers in the tournament. Ash still had a bad taste from his 2nd round match with David.

"I appreciate that Duran, but I believe your Tyranitar hasn't seen anything yet!" Sawyer called back.

"Well I look forward to it." Duran said with a smile.

"Green trainer, please send out your next Pokemon" The referee called to Sawyer. He grabbed his next Pokeball. It was a Pokemon he had hoped to use in the later rounds, but it was now or never, here and now.

"Go Slurpuff!" Sawyer said as he threw the Pokeball.

"Alright!" Ash shouted. Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie jumped a little from Ash's outburst. "What is it Ash?" Serena asked.

"Sawyer has it under control now." Ash said with confidence.

"You really think so?" Clemont asked. "I mean Slurpuff has a type advantage over Tyranitar but will that be enough?" Ash didn't answer. He was focused on the arena floor as the battle was about to begin.

"Alright Slurpuff use Energy Ball!" Sawyer commanded. Slurpuff powered up its attack and launched a green ball at Tyranitar.

"Use Stone Edge to block!" Duran ordered and soon a stone pillar sprang up and took the Energy Ball attack. The rock broke apart and hit Tyranitar, but it shielded itself from the debris. With Tyranitar distracted, Sawyer took his chance.

"Now use Fairy Wind on the Sandstorm!" Sawyer called out. Duran gasped as he quickly figured out Sawyer's plan.

"Quick Tyranitar! Thunder Punch!" He called out to his Pokemon, but it was too late. Slurpuff unleashed the devastating attack. However Slurpuff hadn't launched it directly at Tyranitar. It had used Fairy Wind on the Sandstorm itself. The combination had become a Fairy Storm, and now Tyranitar's greatest strength was now being used against it in a super effective battlefield attack.

"Push through it Tyranitar!" Duran shouted. Tyranitar braced itself against the Fairy Storm and lunged toward Slurpuff striking it with a Thunder Punch. Slurpuff was launched into the air.

"And now Stone Edge!" Duran commanded. He was determined to finish the fight quickly.

"Energy Ball!" Sawyer shouted. Slurpuff recovered mid-air, and launched another Energy Ball. As it fired the Grass attack, a stone pillar rose from the ground and slammed into Slurpuff. On the other side of the arena Tyranitar was struck by the Energy Ball attack.

The Fairy Storm died down as the dust settled. On one side Slurpuff was laying down on the ground, fainted.

In the middle of the battlefield stood Tyranitar. It has heavily breathing, barely standing.

"Slurpuff is unable to-" The referee called out, but then Tyranitar roared. Everyone looked at Tyranitar as it gave out one last roar until falling down, fainted. Everyone was stunned. It was a double knock out.

"Uh...Both Pokemon are unable to battle!" The referee corrected. Both Sawyer and Duran returned their Pokemon. Both proud at their Pokemon for doing their best.

"I must say Sawyer. You have clearly shown you belong here. That combination of Fairy Wind and my Sandstorm attack was brilliant." Duran said.

"I don't think I've ever faced a Pokemon that could take so much damage. I thought for sure the Fairy Wind would be enough to stop Tyranitar." Sawyer said returning the compliment.

"Duran, the Red trainer has two Pokemon left, Sawyer the Green trainer, has one Pokemon left. Trainers, release your next Pokemon." The referee signaled to both trainers.

"Alright. I choose you Gallade." Duran said as he released his 2nd Pokemon. Sawyer saw this and weighed his options. He could go with Slowbro. Being part Fighting type, Gallade would be hurt by any of Slowbro's attacks, but would not be able to stop any of Gallade's quick attacks. Or he could go with Manectric. It would be fast enough against Gallade and would be able to dish out damage from afar quickly.

"C'mon out Manectric." Sawyer said, announcing his choice for his final Pokemon.

"Manectric, show us we're not backing down! Thunderbolt!" Sawyer called, signaling the start of the round. Manectric howled and unleashed an explosion of lightning. It rose high into the air then came crashing down towards Gallade.

"Intercept it with Psycho Cut!" Duran commanded. Gallade jumped into the air and slashed the Thunderbolt with its own attack. The resulting explosion temporarily hid Gallade, but it soon landed back on the ground, unaffected.

"Good job, now use Night Slash!" Duran said. Gallade pushed off with one foot, but it moved with incredible speed.

"Dodge it and use Crunch!" Sawyer responded. Manectric moved with equal speed and dodged Gallade's attack. It then pivoted and launched itself at Gallade. Gallade was able to take a quick step back and slashed again with another Night Slash. Manectric bit down on the Night Slash, resulting in both Pokemon receiving damage. Gallade tried to throw Manectric off its arm blade, but the wolf Pokemon held on tight.

"We got them right where we want them! Use Thunderwave Manectric!" Sawyer called out. Manectric then sent a jolt of electricity through Gallade.

Gallade went down on one knee. Manectric was now on top of Gallade, still biting down with its Crunch attack.

"Knock it off Gallade! Psycho Cut!" Gallade's free arm glowed pink and it uppercutted Manectric, finally knocking Manectric off.

"Before they can recover! Another Psycho Cut!" Duran called out. Gallade got to its feet, but then tensed up as the paralysis knocked it back down to one knee. Manectric landed on its feet, injured but still standing strong.

"Let's try this again Manectric, Thunderbolt!" Sawyer said. Manetric howled again and released another powerful attack.

"Block it with Psycho Cut!" Duran cried out. Gallade unable to move away barely was able to raise its arms to deflect the Thunderbolt. The attack did a number of Gallade but it was still in the battle.

"Don't let the pain get to you Gallade. Focus!" Duran said to his Gallade. It nodded then closed its eyes and relaxed. There was still small jolts of electricity coursing through its body.

"Let's increase our attack power Manectric. Use Charge Beam!" Sawyer shouted. He couldn't just continue with Thunderbolts, or Manectric would run out of energy. Manectric opened its mouth and shot out a yellow beam of concentrated electricity.

"Ready Gallade?" Duran asked his Pokemon, unusually calm. The Pokemon looked back and nodded. Duran grinned and just before the Charge Beam crashed into Gallade, he called one more attack.

"Night Slash! Push through!"

Gallade then launched itself straight at the Charge Beam. It contacted the beam, but something crazy happened. Gallade was going through it, as if it was cutting through it. Using Night Slash it deflected the majority of the attack away from Gallade as it went through. Manectric didn't see Gallade coming until it was too late. With one quick swipe from one of its blade arms, Gallade slashed at Manectric.

Both Pokemon were exhausted. Gallade had successfully hit Manectric, but the bold move was too much. Gallade collapsed, fainted. Manectric was injured, but was still standing.

"Gallade is unable to battle, Manectric is the winner." The referee called out, raising his green flag.

Duran recalled his Gallade, praising it for its determination. Duran then looked at Manectric. The lightning wolf wouldn't be able to take any more damage. It was nearly out of energy too, but none of that mattered due to his next Pokemon.

"C'mon out Excadrill" Duran announced. Sawyer looked at the part ground type Pokemon with a grim outlook. Manetric could barely stand. It may be able to launch one more strong Thunderbolt, but against Excadrill it would be useless.

Ash and company were looking on with concerned faces. Sawyer had fought amazingly, but it now looked bad for their friend.

"Ash? Sawyer can still win right?" Serena asked. Ash didn't answer, even for him it looked hopeless. If Duran's Excadrill was even half as strong as his previous Pokemon it could still win easily.

It was then when the crowd started to quiet down Ash looked back to the battlefield and saw Sawyer walking up to Manectric. Trainers are allowed to enter the arena only if retrieving their Pokemon. This was a specific rule that Ash knew very well. During his previous League tournaments there had been times that his Pikachu had been knocked out and he had to retrieve Pikachu since it hated its Pokeball. But if Sawyer was doing this, then that would mean...

"You did great Manectric." Sawyer said as he knelt down next to his Pokemon. Manectric turned towards its trainer. "But you're too injured to keep battling." Sawyer then turned towards the referee.

"I forfeit."

The crowd was stunned as the referee called the match and announced Duran the winner. Duran returned his Excadrill and walked across the arena to Sawyer; a smile on his face.

"You continue to surprise me Sawyer." Duran said. He extended his arm to Sawyer and picked the young boy up to his feet. "It takes a true man and trainer to do what you did. At times, even at places such as this, winning isn't everything. You have my respect."

Much to the surprise of Ash and company, the crowd stood up and applauded. They joined in too as soon everyone was clapping. Ash knew that these weren't for Duran, the winner, but for Sawyer for his actions.

As Sawyer and Duran walked out of view, Serena grabbed Ash. "Ash! Your match!"

"Oh yeah! Right." Ash said as he turned to go to the Trainer's Lounge. His match would be in 15 minutes, so he had time to get there. Before he could go Serena pulled him back, spun him around and gave him a kiss.

"For good luck." Serena said with a blush. Ash returned the red cheeks and smiled. Bonnie was watching and giggling behind Serena, but Clemont nudged her gently.

"Don't worry Serena. I won't lose." Ash replied. Serena released Ash and watched him go.

* * *

Two people watched Ash leave the stands, heading for his third round match.

"I still believe we shouldn't tell Ash. He's just a kid, he shouldn't be involved in this any more."

"Because he knows more about this than anyone else."

"True, and he is a powerful trainer...but still a kid. Besides he needs to focus on the Tournament."

"He is your favorite to win...very well. I will continue to monitor the situation and tell you of any new developments."

"Good. Professor Sycamore will be arriving tomorrow. We will tell him about it once he gets here."


	25. Chapter 25: A Fiery Confrontation

**Chapter 25: Ash vs Cindy, A Fiery Confrontation**

Ash met Sawyer outside of the Trainer's Lounge. Both Sawyer and Duran were being swarmed by media. Duran may have been the winner, but Sawyer was getting the most attention. Ash decided to push through and meet his friend.

"Sawyer, over here." Ash called out over the reporters. Sawyer heard Ash and went through the crowd to him.

"Hey buddy, you battled amazing out there." Ash said. Sawyer lowered his head, "But I still lost."

"Yes, but you showed everyone an important lesson Sawyer." Ash replied. "That winning isn't everything. As a trainer, you are ultimately responsible for the well-being of your Pokemon."

Sawyer listened to Ash's words. He took them to heart, and returned a smile to Ash. "Thank you Ash."

"Your friend here is right." A voice said from behind. It was Duran who had made his way to the two boys. "Usually I see trainers of your age too eager to win, too eager to prove that they're the best and thus disregard their Pokemon's well being. If I recall correctly, this was your first Pokemon League?" Duran asked.

"Yes it was." Sawyer said. Duran laughed at the young trainer. "Then I would take this experience and use it to make yourself that much stronger. If this was your first time, I can't wait to see how you will fare in the next tournament." Duran explained. The man then looked over at Ash and recognized him.

"Ah, you must be Ash. I saw your first round match the other day. I can see why you two are friends." Duran said as he extended his hand. "My name is Duran." Ash accepted the man's gesture and shook his hand.

"Is there an Ash Ketchum here?"

The three trainers looked over and saw a Pokemon League official at the entrance of the Trainer's Lounge.

"I guess that's my cue." Ash said as he went over to the official leaving Sawyer with Duran.

"I have some more of my friends that are going to watch Ash's match. You wanna join us?" Sawyer asked. Duran smiled, but shook his head.

"I would, but my next opponent is going to be the winner of the next match in the Blue Stadium so I'll head over there." He said.

The two trainers shook hands and went their seperate ways. Sawyer made his way to the section where Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie were. They were right behind the Green Trainer's box where he had been. It just so happened that Ash would be in the same box.

"Hey everyone!" Sawyer said as he joined his friends in the crowd.

"Sawyer!" They all said in unison. Bonnie jumped at Sawyer and gave him a hug. Clemont gave him a handshake, praising him for his responsible decision. Serena was last and she gave Sawyer a hug. She saw the defeat in Sawyer's eyes and knew how tough of a decision Sawyer had to make. It was a decision that Ash would have made too.

"I'm so sorry Sawyer. You and your Pokemon battled really well." Serena said. "Did you take your Pokemon to Nurse Joy?" Clemont asked.

"Yeah I did. She took them just before Ash found me." Sawyer answered.

Before Serena could say anything, the crowd started to stir. The group looked and saw Ash walking out of the tunnel with the referee and his opponent, Cindy.

The two shook hands and went to their side of the battlefield. The referee took his place and announced the rules. This would be the last 3v3 match of the tournament. The winner of this match would move on to the semi-finals where the matches will feature a full 6v6 battle.

"Both trainers, release your first Pokemon." The referee declared. Cindy threw her Pokeball out and revealed her Jolteon as her first Pokemon. Ash didn't have a Pokeball in his hand. Instead he knelt down to Pikachu and chose it as its first Pokemon.

"Alright Pikachu, we got this." Ash said as Pikachu took its place on the battlefield. The two electric Pokemon stared each other down; sparks flying from their bodies, eager to start.

"It had been determined that Cindy will have the first move." The referee said, ""Let the battle begin!" He shouted.

"Jolteon, use Quick attack!" Cindy said. Jolteon sprang forward and sped up to incredible speed.

"Pikachu, counter with your own Quick attack!" Ash responded. Pikachu as well started to dart back and forth as the two Pokemon attacked and dodged each other in a lightning fast dance. The two Pokemon were evenly matched in speed. The crowd was straining to keep up with the two yellow blurs that zig zagged around the battlefield. The battle went like this for a full minute until Cindy had enough. She knew that the battle wasn't going anywhere in her favor.

"Jolteon break it off and use Shadow Ball!" Cindy shouted. One of the blurs then jumped into the air. The blur turned out to be Jolteon and it fired a Shadow Ball at Pikachu. The Shadow Ball was too slow and it missed Pikachu who was still a blur.

"Use Shadow Ball again, but wait for the right moment." Cindy said. Jolteon powered up another Shadow Ball but held on to it. Pikachu was darting back and forth, waiting for the perfecct time to strike.

"Now!" Cindy shouted as Pikachu zoomed in front of Jolteon. The Shadow Ball went out in front of Pikachu, intending for Pikachu to run into it. Pikachu was just a bit too quick, able to jump over the Shadow Ball.

However Pikachu slowed down while in the air. This was when Jolteon pressed its advantage.

"Now use Quick Attack before it can recover!" Cindy said. Jolteon bolted towards Pikachu, hitting it before it could even land. Pikachu was sent flying, but landed on its feet. Ash knew Pikachu was alright.

Alright Pikachu, go in for an Iron Tail." Ash told Pikachu.

"We'll counter with Double Kick!" Cindy told Jolteon.

Both Electric Pokemon collided with their physical attacks. Jolteon was able to block Iron Tail with its Double Kick, but Pikachu's faster speed was able to overcome Jolteon and was able to land a direct hit on the 3rd hit of Iron Tail.

"Follow up with a Quick Attack!" Ash said without pause. Pikachu quickly landed back on its feet and sped toward Jolteon and was able to strike Jolteon before it could recover. Jolteon landed in front of Cindy, showing signs of fatigue. The speed battle against Pikachu was getting to it. It still had power, but any of its electric moves wouldn't be very effective, thus making it a frustrating battle for Jolteon. Pikachu was more than ready for a battle of speed. Being more experienced in its abilities other than pure power attacks had proved to make the difference.

"Are you ok Jolteon?" Cindy asked. Jolteon took awhile but eventually got up. Ash decided to go in for another attack.

"Use Quick Attack to gain some speed then go in for one more Iron Tail!" Ash told Pikachu. The electric mouse started darting forward, gaining speed. Pikachu's tail started to glow as it began to close the distance.

"Stop Pikachu with Shadow Ball!" Cindy called out. Ash was prepared for this and without hesitating told Pikachu exactly what to do.

"Use Iron Tail to spring upward!" Ash said. Pikachu had used this manevuer several times in the past. First it had used this tactic against Grant and his Tyrunt, and against Korrina and her Lucario. Pikachu jumped and slammed the Shadow Ball attack down, launching itself upward. Cindy and Jolteon were stunned at Pikachu's agility. Before any of them could react, Pikachu dove down and struck Jolteon in the head with its Iron Tail attack, fainting it.

"Jolteon is unable to battle, Pikachu is the winner!" The referee declared. The crowd applauded. They were expecting an electrifying battle, but weren't disappointed with the speed battle. Cindy recalled Jolteon, telling it how good of a job it did. Cindy then took her 2nd Pokeball and threw it.

"C'mon out Flygon!" She said. Ash knew that Flygon would be in this battle. He had a plan for this Pokemon.

"Return Pikachu." Ash called out to his Pokemon. Pikachu nodded and ran back to Ash's side. "You did great Pikachu, but take a rest."

Ash then took out a Pokeball and threw it. "Let's go Noivern!"

The Sonar Dragon Pokemon flew up to meet Flygon in the air above the battlefield. The crowd applauded again as they were getting ready for a Dragon battle. Cindy took the first move.

"Use Dragon Claw!" Cindy called out. Flygon rushed Noivern as its claws glowed a pale green.

"Dodge it Noivern!" Ash said. The two Dragons twisted and twirled through the air. Flygon was chasing Noivern, but was not as agile through the air. Every time Flygon would get close, Noivern would be able to turn on a dime and speed away. Cindy was getting frustrated again. In her previous battles, she had been able to beat her opponents with speed, but now this was the second battle in a row where her Pokemon was the slower one.

"Stop that Noivern with Stone Edge!" Cindy shouted. In front of Noivern the ground erupted and a stone pillar shot up at it. Noivern was able to dodge the Stone Edge attack, but Flygon took that moment to catch up to Noivern. As it closed the distance, Flygon swung at Noivern with a Dragon Claw attack and struck the other Dragon with a super effective attack.

Noivern recovered in the air, but it was obvious that the Dragon Claw did some damage. Ash knew to keep Flygon at a distance. Another successful Dragon Claw could finish Noivern.

"Alright Noveirn, we got to keep Flygon at a distance." Ash told his Pokemon. Noivern nodded, it didn't want to get hit like that again.

"Use Boomburst!" Ash commanded. Noivern then let loose a powerful sound blast at Flygon. The other Dragon was caught in the powerful attack, but it held its ground.

"Get out of there Flygon and use Dragon Claw!" Cindy responded. Flygon flew up and out of the Boomburst and dove at Noivern, its claws glowing green again.

"Dodge it!" Ash said. Noveirn again dodged the initial attack but once again Flygon was in pursuit of Noveirn around the sky above the battlefield. Ash knew he had little time before Flygon would use a Stone Edge on Noivern. He had to act fast.

"Noivern slow down and go up!" Ash shouted. Everyone was surprised at the decision from Ash. Noivern then flapped its wings against its own momentum and rose in the air. Flygon couldn't adjust in time and zoomed past Noivern.

"Now use Dragon Pulse!" Ash told his Pokemon. Noivern was already in the best position it could be in for the attack. It fired the multi-colored beam at Flygon. Unable to change direction quickly like Noivern, Flygon was struck by the super effective blast and sent crashing into the ground, fainted.

"Flygon is unable to battle, Noivern is the winner." The referee called out.

Cindy returned her Flygon, proud at it battling so hard. She looked over at Ash and his Noivern. It was still visibly hurt from her Flygon's Dragon Claw. Pikachu would still be tired from its battle with Jolteon. It may be one versus three but Cindy felt confident that her final Pokemon could still win it for her. She took out a Pokeball and looked back at Ash.

"You're an amazing trainer Ash, but I still plan on winning." She called out across the arena. Ash was wondering what her final Pokemon could be. It would obviously be her strongest Pokemon for her to keep it reserve during the whole tournament thus far.

"Bring it on Cindy. I'll be ready for anything you throw at us." Ash said back. Cindy smiled and threw the Pokeball into the air. Immediately Ash could feel the air getting hotter as the Pokemon appeared.

"A Typhlosion?!" Ash gasped. The Volcano Pokemon stood on the other side as the air around it shimmered from the heat.

"Watch out Noivern. Even as a Dragon, Typhlosion's fire attacks are going to be strong." Ash said to his Pokemon.

"Alright Typhlosion, use Sunny Day!" Cindy said. Typhlosion's fire mane burned brighter and in response the sun shined brighter as well. Ash had to shield his eyes from the intense light, as well as most of the crowd that weren't wearing sunglasses.

"Ugh...I can't see." Ash was saying through squinted eyes.

"Now use Eruption!" Cindy called out. Ash could hear Typhlosion roar, but couldn't see when it had attacked.

"Noivern get out of there!" He called out. Ash could hear Noivern and Typhlosion but couldn't quite see properly. When Ash thought Noivern had been able to dodge safely, he heard Noivern cry out as it got hit by the Eruption attack.

"Noivern!"

Ash slowly opened his eyes more. He could see Typhlosion on the other side of the arena. Around the battlefield were small craters that were glowing red hot. Ash looked around and saw Noivern on the edge of the battlefield on the ground. It was slowly getting up, but it could still battle.

"Noivern counter with Boomburst!" Ash called out. Noivern was too hurt to fly, but it still launched its powerful sound attack.

"Dodge it with Flame Wheel!" Cindy said. Typhlosion engulfed itself in flame as it started spinning into a ball. It sped towards Noivern who was still grounded. Ash knew that Noivern wouldn't be able to dodge it, he had to attack.

"Dragon Pulse, everything you got!" Ash shouted. Noivern pulled back and launched an all out Dragon Pulse straight at Typhlosion. The attack smashed into Typhlosion and slowed the Fire Pokemon down. Noivern was too injured to keep up the pressure and the Dragon Pulse started to weaken. Typhlosion, still in its Flame Wheel attack, continued through the Dragon Pulse and struck Noivern for another powerful fire attack, fainting it.

"Noivern is unable to battle, Typhlosion is the winner." The referee said. The crowd was in awe of Typhlosion's raw power. Serena, who had been cheering on Ash through the whole match now had a tiny hint of doubt creep in her mind.

"Don't worry Serena." A voice said next to her. She looked and saw Sawyer there smiling. "Ash still has Pikachu left, and I bet he'll use his Charizard if he has to." Serena smiled from Sawyer's words and nodded, she couldn't doubt now. She had to cheer on for Ash.

Ash had returned Noivern to its Pokeball. "Good job Noivern, we'll take it from here." Ash then turned to Pikachu. "You ready buddy?" He asked his partner. Pikachu flexed and discharged small bits of electricity from its cheecks.

"Chu!"

"Well alright buddy, let's do this." Ash said as he stood up. Pikachu ran back onto the battlefield and stood ready against Typhlosion. Even getting hit by a Dragon Pulse it looked like the attack didn't even phase it.

"Alright Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash said. Pikachu jumped into the air and launched a devastating electric attack. Typhlosion stood its ground.  
"Counter with Lava Plume!" Cindy shouted. The two attacks collided, but Pikachu was ready for another attack.

"Electro ball!" Ash commanded. The explosion from the previous collision of attacks hid Pikachu's attack and before Typhlosion could react the Electro Ball slammed into it. Ash grinned, that last attack would have done some damage. But as the smoke cleared, Typhlosion was still standing. It had been knocked back a bit, but it still didn't show any signs of damage. Both Ash and Pikachu were stunned at Typhlosion's power.

"Use another Thunderbolt!" Ash called out. Pikachu may have been physically tired from its battle from Jolteon, but it hadn't used any electric attacks. Pikachu still had plenty of power.

"Use Flame Wheel to dodge!" Cindy called out. Typhlosion again rolled into a fiery ball and rolled straight at Pikachu, dodging the Thunderbolt.

"Dodge it, quick!" Ash cried out. Pikachu jumped off to the side and made Typhlosion miss its attack, but Cindy wanted that to happen.

"And now...Solarbeam!" Cindy shouted.

"Solarbeam?!" Ash repeated in shock. Typhlosion jumped out of its Flame Wheel and fired a powerful yellow beam at Pikachu. The speed and power were too much for Pikachu, and it got hit by the Solarbeam.

"No Pikachu!" Ash called out, but Pikachu was on the ground, fainted.

"Pikachu is unable to battle, Typhlosion is the winner." The referee announced. Ash went over to Pikachu and picked him up.

"You did good Pikachu, just hold on buddy." He said as he walked back to his Trainers box. Pikachu looked up at Ash with a sad look. It wanted to keep going for its trainer and friend. Ash set Pikachu down and turned back toward Cindy and her Typhlosion.

"Your Typlosion is something else Cindy. I admit, I'm surprised it knows Solarbeam." Ash said. Cindy nodded, "Yes, I set up that Solarbeam from the beginning of the round. When I made Typhlosion use Sunny Day, it was soaking up the sunlight and storing that energy the entire time. That was why Typhlosion was able to use Solarbeam so quickly." Cindy replied.

Ash's expression then turned serious. He had one Pokemon left. Even if he had not planned to use his last Pokemon, Ash knew his Pokemon would want to fight a Fire type as strong as Typhlosion.

"C'mon Ash! You're still going to win!" A voice shouted. It came from behind Ash and rose above the rest of the crowd noise. Ash looked behind and saw Serena standing up with her fists clenched. "You've faced worse situations then this. There's no way you're going to lose!"

Ash was surprised at Serena's outburst, but smiled and nodded at her. There was no way he was going to lose this battle. He pulled out his final Pokeball and threw it into the air. A roar echoed through the stadium as Charizard appeared on the battlefield.

Charizard looked over at Typhlosion and the two snarled at each other. Charizard's flame on its tail and Typhlosion's flame on its back grew brighter and larger. From what everyone in the stadium saw, nobody would think that these two Fire types would do anything less than their very best.

"Flamethrower!"

"Lava Plume!"

Both Ash and Cindy called their attacks at the same time. Both Pokemon launched their attacks and as they collided the heat could be felt from the top of the of the stadium stands. People in the front row were beginning to sweat from the heat including Serena, Clemont, Sawyer, and Bonnie.

"Fly up and use another Flamethrower!" Ash called out. Charizard took to the air and fired another attack at Typhlosion.

"Dodge it and use Flame Wheel!" Cindy said. Ash smiled; as long as Charizard was in the air it would have to advantage.

"Keep up the pressure Charizard!" Ash shouted. Charizard continued to rain down Flamethrowers while Typhlosion stayed in its Flame Wheel.

"Gain some more speed Typhlosion!" Cindy called out. Typhlosion grew brighter and spun around the field at greater speeds.

 _ **What is she planning?**_

"NOW!" Cindy shouted! In an instant Typhlosion jumped out of its Flame Wheel, using its speed to rush upward straight at Charizard. Before Ash or Charizard could react Typhlosion slammed into Charizard, knocking it the ground.

"Get up Charizard!" Ash called out to his Pokemon.

"Flame Wheel!" Cindy said to hers. Ash looked at saw Typhlosion going in for another attack. Charizard got up, but Ash saw that it would be too late to dodge it.

"Dragon Claw! Full power!" Ash yelled. With all of its strength Charizard swung at Typhlosion with its claws, now glowing a pale green. The attack stopped Typhlosion in its tracks but now the two Pokemon were in a stalemate, struggling for dominance. Charizard fired a Flamethrower at Typhlosion but it did nothing while it was in its Flame Wheel.

 _ **If I mega evolve Charizard, I can end it quickly but I need to keep that power a secret. How can I end this standoff? Charizard can just keep Typhlosion at bay...that's it!**_

"Charizard grab on to Typhlosion with your Dragon Claw!" Ash called out.

Charizard who had been using Dragon Claw to stop Typhlosion now dug its claws into the Flame Wheel. A roar came from Typhlosion as Charizard clamped down.

"Now fly up!" Ash said. Charizard roared, it knew what Ash wanted it to do. With a flap of its wings it rose from the ground still holding on to Typhlosion. As they went up higher, Typhlosion stopped its Flame Wheel and started to struggle against Charizard. Ash could see that it was tiring. The strength of Charizard had finally tipped the battle in his favor.

"Use Lava Plume, get out of there Typhlosion!" Cindy shouted, worried at what Charizard might do.

"Finish this! Seismic Toss!" Ash yelled. Typhlosion fired its attack point blank but Charizard endured as it started to circle around the sky, making Typhlosion disoriented. Round and round they went making a ring of fire in the sky. Charizard then zoomed towards the ground and slammed Typhlosion into the ground. A cloud of dust violently erupted, clouding the battlefield from view.

Charizard emerged from the cloud and stood in front of Ash. It roared and fired a Flamethrower into the air. Everyone then looked as the cloud disappeared, revealing Typhlosion. Ash gasped as he saw Typhlosion. Where it had landed was a small crater, and in the middle was Typhlosion, still standing.

"Good job Typhlosion, now use Lava, ah!" Cindy began to say, but then she gasped as Typhlosion fell to the ground, fainted.

"Typhlosion is unable to battle, which means that Ash is the winner." The referee stated, concluding the match. The crowd erupted in thunderous applause. They had been treated to spectacular battle that had them on the edge of their seats. None were more happy then a group of kids behind Ash that were dancing and cheering.

But even among them, none were more happy than a honey haired girl who kept her teary eyes on Ash.


	26. Chapter 26: The Semi-Finals

**Chapter 26: The Semi-Finals**

Ash had never been happier in his life. He was so proud of his Pokemon for making it this far, his friends were behind him all the way, but most importantly, there was somebody standing next to him in all this. It was a weird feeling. He had so many supporters in the past, dozens of people who stood behind him, cheering him on. But with Serena, he felt like she wasn't standing behind him, but standing next to him.

Ash gave his two Pokeballs to Nurse Joy along with Pikachu. They would be sent to Pokemon Center right away for him to pick up. After shaking hands with Cindy one last time, Ash emerged from the Trainer's Lounge into the arms of a familiar face.

"Oh! Serena hey!" Ash said as he almost lost his balance. As he returned Serena's embrace, Ash saw everyone else. Bonnie was giggling as usual when she saw Ash and Serena together. Clemont and Sawyer were standing back, but Ash could see how happy they were.

"You were so amazing Ash. I knew you would win." Serena said as she pulled back a little so she could see into Ash's eyes.

"Yeah, we never doubted you for a minute!" Sawyer said, but Bonnie looked up at him with a smile.

"Uh huh sure, is that why you were holding your breath the entire time?" Bonnie said with a smirk on her face.

"Wha? I w-was just concentrating. I may be out of the tournament but I can still learn from Ash." Sawyer replied, flustered. As he said that, they heard a rumble coming from Ash.

"Well, if there's one thing I learned from Ash, is that battles make him hungry." Serena said. The group laughed and went on their way to the Pokemon Center.

While Bonnie was the usual energetic one of the group, Sawyer hadn't stopped talking about Ash's last battle. While they rest of the group ate, Sawyer told them what they had just seen an hour ago. Ash was busy with his food, gulping it down like a human Snorlax. Ash almost choked when Serena nudged him in the ribs to slow down. He looked over at Serena. She was smiling, something that Ash was not going to get tired of any time soon. He swallowed what was left of the food in his mouth and apologized for his rude table manners.

"Pika Pi!"

The group turned around and saw Nurse Joy with Ash's Pokemon. Pikachu had jumped up on the table and placed himself on Ash's shoulders.

"Hey buddy. Feeling better?" Ash asked Pikachu. The little Pokemon nodded, and then jumped on Serena's shoulders and started playing with her.

"Your Charizard and Noivern are all better Ash." Nurse Joy said as she returned the Pokeballs.

"Thank you Nurse Joy." Ash replied. The group said their thanks as Nurse Joy went on her way.

"And that will do it! Arthur is the winner!"

The group looked over at the closest screen. It showed the aftermath of the last preliminary round. A man, named Arthur had beaten his opponent 3-1. Ash saw Arthur's Pokemon; A Scizor.

"And with that, the preliminary rounds are over! The semi-finals will begin tomorrow at Kalos Stadium. The match ups for tomorrow are: Duran vs Arthur, and Morrison vs Ash!" The announcer declared.

"Hmm, so my opponent is Morrison, huh." Ash said. He was ready for the semi-finals to start. He had only been this far once before, but Ash was planning on going even farther.

"Let me see..." Sawyer said. He pulled out his notebook and started flipping through the pages. The group looked on, wondering what Sawyer was looking for.

"Ah there we go. During the tournament, I've been keeping track of everyone's Pokemon. Morrison here has used 6 Pokemon thus far." Sawyer said as he pointed to one of the pages.

"Oh wow. That's really smart Sawyer." Clemont said as he looked over Sawyer's shoulders.

"Well he has several powerful attacking Pokemon. One of them is a Bisharp. But he also has a Poliwrath, a Braviary, a Weavile, An Arcanine, and probably his most powerful Pokemon, a Gengar." Sawyer said as he listed off Morrison's known Pokemon.

"This Morrison sounds pretty tough..." Serena said. She had every confidence in Ash, but if this Morrison was also in the semi-finals then surely he would be tough to beat.

"I know what my team is going to be." Ash stated. The others looked at Ash, wondering what Pokemon Ash would choose.

After cleaning up, Ash went over to the phone and called Professor Oak. He made a couple of changes and met the rest of the group back at the front of the Pokemon Center. For the rest of the day, the group stayed at one of the practice arenas. Ash and Sawyer went through a light training session but Ash only used Pikachu, Greninja, and Sceptile.

 _ **Ash was standing in the main stadium. He was on one side of the battlefield with a Pokeball in his hand. The arena floor was illuminated by the stadium lights but the stands were shrouded in darkness. He looked across and there was Diantha. Her Gardevior was on the other side as well. It had mega evolved and showed no signs of damage.**_

 _ **"Will the challenger call forth their last Pokemon?"**_

 _ **Ash looked over and saw a shadowy figure off to the side. Ash looked back down at his Pokeball. This was it...everything that he worked for up to this point all came down to this moment.**_

 _ **"Ash?"**_

 _ **Ash stopped just before he threw his Pokeball. He turned and saw Serena walk into the light behind him.**_

 _ **"What are you doing here?" Ash asked. He looked around, wondering how Serena was able to get on the battlefield.**_

 _ **"I believe in you Ash." Serena said as she stood in front of Ash. She grabbed both of Ash's hands and lifted them between their chests. She then kissed Ash's forehead...**_

"Ash?"

 _ **Ash looked around, it was Serena that said that, but the Serena in front of him didn't say anything.**_

"Ash? Wake up sleepy head!"

Ash opened his eyes and saw Serena leaning over him. He felt a warmness on his forehead where Serena had just kissed him. Seeing Ash wake up, Serena gave him a smile and sat back up. Ash sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"Hey Serena, why are you up so early?" Ash asked. He looked and saw Pikachu on Serena's shoulders.

"No reason." She said with a smile. Pikachu jumped off of Serena and landed on Ash's lap.

"Uh huh..." Ash answered back. Light was flickering through the blinds as the sun was just rising. The first semi-final would start at 10am, with the second match would be held at 2pm. Ash heard noise coming from the kitchen. Clemont must have been getting breakfast ready.

"What is it Ash?" Serena asked. Ash looked back, smiling at Serena.

"Nothing, just glad you're here with me." Ash said. He was surprised at the sudden redness in Serena's cheeks. He couldn't help himself smile some more at how beautiful Serena was. As they both went for the door, Serena went into the bathroom instead. As he said hi to Clemont and Bonnie, he saw Serena step outside of her door. Ash thought it strange that she didn't just use his door.

The start of the semi-finals was the same as any other round. The only difference was the referee stating that this match would be a full 6v6 match. Though he was the trainer that defeated Sawyer, the group rooted for Duran. It was an impressive match, but eventually Duran had defeated all of Arthur's Pokemon except one, and Duran still had 3 of his.

Arthur sent out his Scizor as his final Pokemon. Ash looked over at Duran and saw the man smiling. It wasn't much, but Ash could tell. Duran returned his Gallade and called out his Ninetales. Even without taking in Duran's skill and the power of his other Pokemon, everyone knew that Arthur was done for.  
Sure enough, it only took a minute but the overwhelming barrage of fire attacks had eventually scored a direct hit on Scizor, knocking it out. The crowd applauded both trainers for a great match as they shook hands.

"Now it's my turn..." Ash said, his hands clenched.

The next three went by a little too quick for Ash's taste. Before he knew it, he was in the Green Trainer Lounge. A simple hallway and door was all that separated Ash from the arena floor. Unlike the other smaller stadiums, the two trainers weren't in the same room before the match, but in their own on separate ends of the stadium. As the clock struck 2pm, an official came in.

"Are you ready Mr. Ketchum?" She asked.

Ash nodded and got up. He joined the official as she stood next to the double door. Ash could hear, and even feel the crowd as they waited for the second semi-final match to start. The official held a radio to her ear. After a second she nodded and opened the door and motioned for Ash to go.

"There he is!" Serena shouted. The crowd roared as the two competitors walked out onto the arena floor. Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, and Sawyer were in the front row, in one of Ash's corners of the stadium. Much to their surprise Duran had joined them not 5 minutes ago. They graciously offered him a seat.

Ash had walked to the center of the arena along with his opponent, Morrison. They were joined by the referee who stated the rules once again. The two shook hands and went to their own sides. At the signal of the referee, both Ash and Morrison threw out their first Pokemon.

"C'mon out Talonflame!" Ash said as fire bird Pokemon soared into the air. Ash looked over to the other side of the arena and saw that Morrison had opened up with his Poliwrath.

"It has been determined that Ash will have the first move." The referee stated.

While Poliwrath may be Water type, it's also Fighting. So it's an even match right now.

"Alright Talonflame use Tailwind!" Ash said. Soon Talonflame had summoned a strong wind that whirled around the stadium. Poliwrath stood it's ground, but Talonflame was soaring around with new found speed.

"Your Talonflame may have increased speed, but only in the direction of the wind. Poliwrath use Hydro Pump!" Morrison called out. Poliwrath sent out a powerful water stream at Talonflame. It dodged it, but only just. Ash was wondering why Talonflame wasn't dodging it as well as it should, but then he saw.  
Poliwrath was shooting just ahead of Talonflame so that it would have to slow down, but because of the strong tailwind it was using more energy to just slow down. Soon Talonflame would tire and be left open for an attack.

"Duck under and use Brave Bird!" Ash shouted. Poliwrath fired another Hydro Pump, but instead of slowing down to dodge it, Talonflame speed up and dived under the attack. Talonflame dropped just mere feet from the arena floor and zoomed toward Poliwrath engulfed in blue flames. Poliwrath, while still firing the Hydro pump, turned and fired right at Talonflame. The Hydro Pump hit Talonflame dead on.

While normally, a powerful Water move like Hydro Pump would have stopped Talonflame, the sheer velocity of Talonflame thanks to Tailwind, made Talonflame push right through, striking Poliwrath with a super effective Brave Bird attack. Talonflame flew back up as Poliwrath was knocked back.

"That was quite the power play Ash, but did you ask too much from your Pokemon?" Morrison asked. Ash looked up at Talonflame. The combination of Hydro Pump and the recoil damage from Brave Bird left Talonflame battered and bruised. Ash knew that Talonflame wouldn't be able to take another hit, let alone its own Brave Bird attack.

 _ **But there is another way to get in close...**_

"My Talonflame can take it." Ash answered back.

"Hmm, maybe. So I'll make sure it can't hit Poliwrath like that again. Use Scald!" Morrison shouted. Poliwrath shot another powerful water stream at Talonflame. While Scald was less powerful, that meant Poliwrath could aim it more effectively thus making it harder for Talonflame to dodge. Once or twice, Talonflame was barely hit by the boiling water.

"Just wait for your opening Talonflame!" Ash told his Pokemon. Ash trusted his Talonflame to use the Tailwind to its advantage. As it spun back around, it took a quick dive and again ignited in blue flames as it went in for another Brave Bird.

"Take aim Poliwrath and...Hydro Pump!" Morrison commanded.

"Acrobatics!" Ash responded. Morrison gasped, surprised at the sudden change in attack. As Poliwrath fired its Hydro Pump, Talonflame had stopped glowing blue, and dodged the incoming Water attack with incredible agility. Before Poliwrath could adjust, Talonflame had attacked Poliwrath with several super effective blows. As Talonflame struck Poliwrath for the final time, it knocked Poliwrath forward, making it land face down, fainted.

"Poliwrath is unable to battle, Talonflame is the winner." The referee announced. The crowd applauded the skillful movement from Talonflame. Morrison returned his Pokemon and without hesitation threw out his next Pokemon.

"Let's go Bisharp!" Morrison called out, revealing his next Pokemon.

Now why would he send out a Steel type against Talonflame? I can't risk anything, Talonflame doesn't look so good.

"Return Talonflame." Ash said as he recalled his Pokemon. "You did great Talonflame, but I'm going to need you later in the match." Ash grabbed another Pokeball and sent out his second Pokemon.

"Alright let's go Hawlucha!" Ash said as his Fighting Pokemon landed on the arena floor. Morrison was surprised, like Sawyer he had taken notes on Ash's Pokemon that he had used. Morrison wondered what other Pokemon Ash could be hiding.

"Bisharp, use Swords Dance!" Morrison called out. Bisharp was then surrounded by a glowing energy as it raised its attack power.

"Hawlucha, use Karate Chop quick!" Ash responded. He wasn't going to let Bisharp power up. Hawlucha rushed in and delivered a powerful strike to Bisharp, knocking it back.

"Good job Hawlucha, now go in with Flying Press!" Ash said, trying to keep the pressure up. Bisharp picked itself up and looked up as Hawlucha was coming in for another attack. As Ash was beginning to think that Hawlucha was going to land another super effective attack, Bisharp had dodged, making Hawlucha slam into the ground.

"Shadow Claw!"

Before Hawlucha could get up, Bisharp moved with great speed and struck Hawlucha in the back with it's powered up attack. Hawlucha was used to a physical fight like this, and quickly recovered.

"Look out Hawlucha, it's much faster now!" Ash called out to his Pokemon. Truth is, he didn't know how fast this Bisharp could be, but he couldn't let it get it any stronger.

"Shadow Claw, again!" Morrison shouted. Bisharp then ran at Hawlucha with its arms now surrounded with a dark aura.

"Go in with a Karate Chop" Ash told Hawlucha. The two Pokemon then started either dodging or trading blows with the other, neither backing down. While Bisharp had the greater attack power, the super effectiveness of Hawlucha's attacks evened the playing field. Morrison knew if Hawlucha got another good hit in, his Bisharp would be in trouble.

"Now us Poison Jab!" Morrison commanded. Bisharp then blocked Hawlucha's next attack with one arm, while the other turned bright purple as Bisharp uppercutted Hawlucha with a Poison Jab. Hawlucha was launched in the air, but thanks to its wings, was able to recover mid-air.

"Come back down with a Hi Jump Kick!" Ash said, again going off instinct and without hesitation. Morrison and Bisharp were surprised that Hawlucha could recover that quickly.

"Use Shadow Claw to block!" Morrison said. It was too late to dodge. Bisharp caught Hawlucha's attack, and the two were stuck at a stand still.

"Vault over and use Karate Chop!" Ash told Hawlucha. The wrestler Pokemon then somersaulted effortlessly over Bisharp. Before Bisharp could turn, Hawlucha landed a Karate Chop to the back of Bisharp's head knocking it flat on its face, fainted.

"Bisharp is unable to battle, Hawlucha is the winner." The referee announced.

"He did it!" Serena shouted as she leapt to her feet. The crowd again applauded at the acrobatic skills from Ash's Pokemon, but none were louder than Serena.

"Yes he did. It's amazing how quick Ash can decide what to do in the heat of battle, but it's not over yet." Clemont said.

Sure, but Ash is up by two Pokemon." Sawyer said. Clemont shook his head. He knew this battle was just getting started.

"Yes, but both Talonflame and Hawlucha are hurt from their battles." Clemont told everyone. Usually they would say that Clemont was just being paranoid, but being that Ash was in the semi-finals, anything could happen. Morrison had recalled his Bisharp and sent out his next Pokemon, Arcanine.

"You ready Hawlucha?" Ash asked his Pokemon.

"Lucha!" It responded. Hawlucha was ready to go all the way. It faced Arcanine with a determined look. It wasn't going to back down.  
"Alright, run up and use Flying Press!" Ash said. Hawlucha jumped high into the air and zoomed down toward Arcanine.

"Use Will-O-Wisp" Morrison said calmly. Ash tried to call of Hawlucha's attack, but the Wisp struck Hawlucha, making it miss its attack. Arcanine circled around, awaiting Morrison's next command while Hawlucha struggled to get up with its burn.

"Use Flare Blitz" Morrison called out. Arcanine ran towards Hawlucha as it turned into a fiery comet.

"Dodge it quick!" Ash shouted. Hawlucha jumped high into the air, even with its burns. Arcanine didn't slow down, instead it jumped as well catching Ash and Hawlucha by surprise. Arcanine slammed into Hawlucha, sending it flying. Hawlucha landed next to Ash, fainted.

"Hawlucha is unable to battle, Arcanine is the winner." The referee stated. Ash returned Hawlucha, thanking it for a great performance.

"Arcanine is quick and powerful. I have a Pokemon like that, but with a type advantage. C'mon out Greninja!" Ash said as he called on his third Pokemon. Greninja appeared, standing upright and crossing its arms.

"Alright Greninja, use Water Shuriken!" Ash called out. Greninja leaped into the air and fired two shurikens. Arcanine fired a Flamethrower and evaporated Greninja's attack.

"Double Team!" Ash had said it, but it looked like Greninja had already started to multiply. Soon there were twenty Greninja's around the arena. Morrison nodded his head.

"Ah yes, we've seen this move before. Arcanine use Extreme Speed!" Morrison said. Arcanine then sprinted to the first Greninja, and then the second, and soon everyone couldn't keep up with Arcanine's speed. Thanks to his connection with Greninja, Ash was able to track Arcanine's movements so he was ready when Arcanine came zooming toward the real Greninja.

"Now!" Ash shouted. In a blink of an eye Greninja pulled out a sword of light as it used Cut to stop Arcanine's advance. There was an explosion, but soon both Arcanine and Greninja appeared out of it. Arcanine was still going, pushing Greninja back as it used Cut to block. Arcanine pushed Greninja all the way to the wall before Greninja could stop Arcanine's momentum.

"Good, now Flamethrower!" Morrison shouted from across the arena.

 _ **Get out of there!**_

Arcanine fired a Flamethrower, incinerating the wall in front of it. The crowd gasped as Greninja was engulfed in the flames.

"Hmmph, even as a Water type, a Flamethrower at that range is going to do some damage." Morrison commented. Arcanine jumped back from the wall, ready for any possible counter attack, but what came next surprised everyone.

As the flames died down, Greninja was nowhere to be found.

"Water Shuriken!" Ash shouted.

"Ah! Above you!" Morrison cried out. He had seen Greninja disappear like this before in Ash's earlier rounds. However, Morrison was too late to warn his Arcanine. As it was falling, Greninja had fired a dozen shurikens in under 3 seconds. The overwhelming surprise attack was too much for Arcanine. After the barrage, the crowd saw Arcanine lying down, fainted.

"Arcanine is unable to battle, Greninja is the winner."

Morrison had trouble with Greninja after that. He sent out his Braviary next, and even with the advantage of flight, the agility of Greninja negated that advantage and Braviary soon fainted, after a final Aerial Ace knocked it out of the sky.

Weavile fared better, even landing an Ice Beam and a Night Slash attack on Greninja. However, both Greninja and Weavile's style of attack were too similar and Greninja's superior speed and power overcame Weavile as it broke through Weavile's Night Slash with its Cut attack, finally fainting Morrison's fifth Pokemon.

"See Clemont, nothing to worry about." Serena said. The worry had left the group as Ash was just one Pokemon away from the finals. Clemont nodded, but was still staring at Ash and Greninja.

"They've become so powerful." Clemont commented. The group agreed, they were surprised Greninja was still standing. The last attack from Weavile should have ended the duel, but Greninja pushed through.

"I guess we can thank Sawyer and his Sceptile for that." Bonnie replied. Sawyer shook his head.

"Thanks, but I think it was Ash's battles with Alain. Remember when you guys told me how Alain and his Charizard completely overpowered Greninja?" Sawyer said. The group nodded, it was hard for them to witness it. They hadn't realized until after the battle, but that was Greninja's first lost since it evolved.

However, fate would have it that they would meet Alain again just before they reached Snowbelle city. And that time, Ash and Greninja perfected their strange new form and proved to be more than a match against Alain and his Mega Charizard. However, the battle was stopped when Alain got some mysterious message. He said it was about his friend, and that it was urgent. Since then, they hadn't heard from him again.

Back on the battlefield, Ash was wondering if Greninja could continue.

 _ **You've done amazing Greninja, but Morrison would have kept his most powerful Pokemon for last.**_

 _ **Greninja! Ninja! Gren, Greninja!**_

 _ **We can try your new form, but I don't want to reveal it unless we really have to.**_

 _ **Ninja...**_

Morrison on the other side was feeling the opposite.

 _ **I didn't want to reveal my Pokemon's true potential, but I guess I have no other choice.**_

"I'm counting on you Gengar!" Morrison shouted as he called upon his final Pokemon. What Ash saw made him and Greninja take a step back. Upon Gengar's forehead was a Mega Stone.

"Gengar can Mega Evolve?!" Ash said. Morrison laughed, "Ha I guess you know about Mega Evolution. Yes my Gengar can Mega Evolve, let me show you..."  
Morrison reached into his jacket and pulled out what looked like a pocket watch. However when he opened it, instead of a clock it was a Keystone.

"Respond to my heart and avenge your friends! Gengar Mega Evolve!" Morrison cried out. Gengar was lost in a bright purple light. Ash lost sight of Gengar as the light grew stronger until finally it exploded. Ash looked to see Mega Gengar, but all he could see was this dark shadow where Gengar was.

"Is...that Mega Gengar?" Ash said, but no sooner then had he said that, the shadow began to move. From out of the shadow a shape started to appear. It was Mega Gengar, slowing rising from the ground until it was fully visible save for its hands and legs which seemed stuck in the ground. On Mega Gengar's forehead was a yellow circle, exactly where the Mega Stone had been.

 _ **You're too weak Greninja. You won't last much longer even in your new form. Take a rest, I might need you again.**_

 _ **Greninja...**_

"Greninja return." Ash said as he recalled his Pokemon. "But what Pokemon can I use against a Mega Gengar. I guess I should see what it can do first. C'mon out Talonflame!" Ash decided to use Talonflame, hoping its speed would be enough to see Morrison's strategy. Ash didn't have much time to think of a plan as Morrison took the offensive.

"Shadow Ball!" Morrison said. Mega Gengar fired a massive Shadow Ball, almost twice as large as Talonflame. Ash barely had enough time to tell Talonflame to dodge. As Ash was about to counter attack, the Shadow Ball exploded in mid air, causing the Ash to catch his footing as the resulting shockwave nearly toppled him. Morrison didn't wait, he had no intention of letting Ash recover.

"Now finish this with Sludge Wave!"

Ash couldn't do anything, he watched as Mega Gengar summoned a wave of sludge from its shadow. Talonflame tried to dodge, but the attack was overwhelming. Talonflame crashed into the ground covered in the sludge, fainted.

Ash returned Talonflame. While Talonflame had fainted without an attack, Ash had found Mega Gengar's weakness.

 _ **It's super powerful, but it seems anchored to that spot on the ground.**_

Ash grabbed his next Pokeball and threw it. As the Pokemon landed, the ground shook. Ash had called upon his Snorlax. The crowd gasped as the massive Pokemon appeared, even Morrison was surprised at Ash's choice. As the referee announced the battle to commence, it was Ash that took the initiative.

"Snorlax Ice Beam!" Ash called out.

"Sludge Wave!" Morrison responded. The two attacks collided, Snorlax's Ice Beam had frozen Mega Genger's Sludge Wave leaving a giant purple wave of sludge in the middle of the arena.

"Shadow Ball! Use it against the Sludge Wave!" Morrison called out. Mega Gengar fired another massive Shadow Ball. It slammed against the frozen Sludge Wave, shattering it. The fragments flew right at Snorlax.

"Defend yourself Snorlax!" Ash cried out. Thanks to Snorlax being in front of Ash, none of the fragments flew at him or Pikachu. Over a dozen pieces flew high and into the crowd, but Mega Gengar stopped them before they reached the stands. Snorlax shrugged off the fragments as they bounced off it.

"Good job Snorlax, use Thunder Punch!" Ash said. He had to go on the offensive. Snorlax charged Mega Gengar as its fist sparked with electricity. Mega Gengar smiled and retreated into the ground, dodging Snorlax's attack. All that was left was Mega Gengar's shadow. It moved from under Snorlax and back towards Morrison where it reappeared from the ground in front of its trainer.

 _ **How can I attack Mega Gengar if it can just go into the ground and...THAT'S IT!**_

"Snorlax use Ice Beam!" Ash called out.

"Shadow Ball!" Morrison responded. Before Mega Gengar could fire its attack, Ash called out another move.

"And now go in with a Thunder Punch!" Ash shouted. Snorlax stopped its Ice Beam early and charged with another Thunder Punch, disregarding the Shadow Ball that headed right for it. Morrison knew what would happen. He had used Shadow Ball to counter Ice Beam, but not to attack Snorlax directly. Due to being a Normal type Pokemon, A Shadow Ball wouldn't affect it, even one as powerful as his Mega Gengar's Shadow Ball.

"Dodge it." Morrison said to his Pokemon as the Shadow Ball phased through Snorlax. Again, Mega Gengar disappeared into its shadow and moved away as Snorlax attacked. Ash was ready this time.

"Now's your chance! Earthquake!" Ash shouted. Morrison gasped, how could he have been caught off guard like this. Snorlax turned toward Mega Gengar's shadow as it moved away. With incredible power, Snorlax jumped and slammed into the ground shaking the very stadium with its mega ton Earthquake attack. Everyone braced themselves as the ground shook violently.

As the ground settled, Mega Gengar reappeared from its shadow. It looked dizzy, but soon shook it off. It wasn't very happy to say the least from Ash's point of view.

"Alright that's enough of that. Use Hypnosis!" Morrison said. Mega Gengar then locked eyes with Snorlax who was unable to look away as Mega Gengar forced it asleep. Snorlax fell over on its back, sound asleep. Morrison smiled, not only was this battle about to be over, but he was going to heal his Pokemon first.

"And now Dream Eater." Morrison commanded. A faint, even more ghostly version of Mega Gengar appeared and went toward Snorlax. Ash wasn't going to wait for Mega Gengar to eat Snorlax's dreams.

"Snorlax use Sleep Talk!" Ash called out. Both Morrison and Mega Gengar's Dream Eater paused. Snorlax popped back on its feet and fired an Ice Beam. It went right through the Dream Eater and slammed into Mega Gengar who couldn't move. The Dream Eater then took its chance and disappeared into Snorlax.

Snorlax started to thrash around as the Dream Eater started to drain its energy through its dreams. After a while, the Dream Eater jumped out and returned to Mega Gengar, healing it. Snorlax woke up, and it was in a rage.

"Ok Snorlax go in with a Thunder Punch!" Ash told his Pokemon.

"Dodge it" Morrison called out. Once again Mega Gengar disappeared into its shadow. However before Ash could tell Snorlax to use another Earthquake, Morrison had no intention of waiting.

"Use Sludge Wave!"

As Mega Gengar's shadow moved under Snorlax a massive wave of sludge came out, even lifting Snorlax into the air due to the force of the attack. After being launched into the air, Snorlax tipped over and fell back down. Everyone in the stadium braced themselves for the shockwave, even Mega Gengar.

Snorlax slammed into the ground, causing an involuntary Earthquake attack. The stadium shook once again, Ash and Morrison both stumbled but stayed on their feet. As the cloud of dust settled, Snorlax was on the its back, fainted.

"Snorlax is unable to battle, Gengar is the winner." The referee stated as they stood back up. Ash returned Snorlax to its Pokeball.

"You did amazing Snorlax, you weakened Mega Gengar quite a bit, we'll take it from here." He said as he placed the Pokeball back on his belt.

"Alright Pikachu, you ready?" Ash said as he knelt down. Pikachu nodded its head. It was ready to test its strength against another Mega evolved Pokemon. It ran onto the battlefield, electricity sparking from its cheeks.

"Alright Pikachu, Electro Ball" Ash said. Morrison had seen Pikachu in action before. It was very fast and very powerful.

"Counter with Shadow Ball" Morrison reaponded. Due to the quick attack of Pikachu, Mega Gengar wasn't able to power up its Shadow Ball enough, so when the two attacks collided they destroyed each other.

"Close in and use Iron Tail" Ash called out but before Pikachu could reach Mega Gengar, Morrison called his own attack.

"Use Sludge Wave, stop that Pikachu" Morrison shouted. Pikachu slid to a stop as Mega Gengar unleashed a large purple wave. Ash had a second to save Pikachu. He looked over at Pikachu, its tail was still glowing white.

"Ah! Pikachu use your Iron Tail to surf the wave!" Ash cried out. Pikachu started running back and once the Sludge Wave reached Pikachu, it jumped up and balanced itself on its tail, surfing the wave. Soon Pikachu reached the top of the wave, the Iron Tail, a Steel type move made it so Pikachu's tail was unaffected by the Poison move.

Morrison was getting frustrated. His Mega Gengar was far more powerful, but now he had be thwarted twice now by Ash's quick thinking. The Sludge Wave died down and Pikachu landed back on the ground unharmed. The crowd applauded at the acrobatic skill of Pikachu.

"Good job Pikachu, now use Thunderbolt" Ash said. Pikachu jumped up and fired a Thunderbolt, Mega Gengar didn't retaliate, taking the full force of the Thunderbolt. Morrison didn't care, he was waiting for the opening he now saw.

"Counter with Shadow Ball" Morrison said calmly. Mega Gengar shrugged off the Thunderbolt and fired a full force Shadow Ball at Pikachu who was still falling, unable to dodge. The Shadow Ball slammed into Pikachu launching it across the battlefield, even past Ash. Morrison smiled, he had only two Pokemon left to beat, and he remembered that Ash's Greninja was already hurt from before.

"Pika...chu"

Morrison looked over, not believing his eyes. Pikachu had gotten up and now was running back onto the battlefield.

 _ **How could a Pikachu shrug off my Mega Gengar's Shadow Ball when it can take down much tougher opponents in a single hit?!**_

"You ok Pikachu?" Ash asked softly as Pikachu stopped in front of him. Pikachu let off a spark of electricity, telling Ash it wasn't going to back down. Ash looked over at Mega Gengar. The attacks from Snorlax and Pikachu had done some good damage, and Ash believed that Mega Gengar was also tiring out too. Every single one of its attacks had been full power and Ash didn't care if it was a Mega evolution, it couldn't keep doing it forever.

"Alright, use Electro Ball!" Ash said, resuming the fight.

"Shadow Ball!" Morrison countered. Mega Gengar fired a full force Shadow Ball that collided and overpowered Pikachu's Electro Ball. Ash knew this would happen.

"Dodge it and use another Electro Ball!" Ash said. Pikachu jumped to the side and fired off another ball of energy. Mega Gengar responded with another Shadow Ball that overpowered the Electro Ball. Pikachu, again dodged the attack.

"Once more, Electro Ball" Ash shouted.

The crowd was wondering what Ash's plan was. Pikachu couldn't overcome Mega Gengar's power. But then they understood as the third volley of Shadow and Electro balls collided. There was another explosion but this time the Electro Ball won and hit Mega Gengar.

The crowd gasped at the sudden change of events. Morrison had no idea how this happened.

"How is this possible?!" Morrison shouted across the arena. Ash smiled, he had found Mega Gengar's weakness.

"Your Mega Gengar just ran out of power. It kept on attacking with all its power. And even in its Mega Evolution form, it couldn't keep on firing such powerful attacks." Ash answered back.

"Even so, we still have to try. Gengar, use Sludge Wave!" Morrison said. Mega Gengar summoned another wave of sludge, but like Ash had said, it was significantly less powerful then the previous one.

"Alright Pikachu, use Iron Tail to surf to the top" Ash told Pikachu. The electric mouse easily made its way up the wave launching into the air above Mega Gengar.

"Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted. Pikachu fired a strong bolt of lightning at Mega Gengar tried to retreat into its shadow but it was too slow due to fatigue. The Thunderbolt hit Mega Gengar, but it still could battle.

"Gengar, use Hypnosis!" Morrison shouted. He planned to regenerate Mega Gengar's power. Ash had other intentions.

"Use Quick Attack, don't let Gengar track you!" Ash responded. Pikachu started to run around Mega Gengar, who was unable to keep up.

"Get behind it and use Electro Ball!" Ash shouted. Pikachu kept up its pace but on its tail grew a ball of energy. Mega Gengar still couldn't keep up so it never saw Pikachu fire its Electro Ball. It continued to turn until the Electro Ball smacked into it.

As the dust settled, Pikachu stopped in front of Ash, completely exhausted but still standing. Ash looked over at Mega Gengar, it was laying down on the ground as it changed back into its normal staten fainted. The crowd stayed silent, stunned at what had happened.

"Gengar is unable to battle, therefore Ash is the winner." The referee announced.

Both Pikachu and Ash slumped to the ground as the stadium rocked from the applause. After a bit, Ash got up and went to Pikachu, picking the tired Pokemon in his arms.

"You did so good Pikachu." He said simply. Pikachu licked Ash's face with affection. Morrison, who had recalled his Gengar had walked across the battlefield.

"I don't know how you do it, but you beat me fair and square. Congratulations and good luck in the finals." Morrison said as he shook Ash's hand.

In the Trainer's Lounge, both Ash and Morrison gave their Pokeballs to Nurse Joy including Pikachu. Ash insisted on staying with Pikachu but Nurse Joy assured him that Pikachu would be fine. It was only when Pikachu motioned to Ash that it was fine did Ash give up.

Upon his exit of the Lounge he was bombarded with reporters and cameramen. All of them wanting to know about how Ash felt about his victory. Morrison had left earlier and brought some reporters to him, but the majority stayed for Ash. While nervous at the sudden attention and apparent fame, Ash sheepishly answered his questions with humility which the reporters loved.

"Oh such a nice young man..."

"You don't find trainers like you very often..."

"Do you have anyone special in your life?"

That last part caught Ash off guard. He quickly shook his head and told the media that he wouldn't answer any more questions. He was going to the Pokemon Center to check on his Pokemon. Upon his request, the reporters and cameramen made way for Ash to go.

Ash met Serena and everyone else at the Pokemon Center. Ash had requested that so they wouldn't be swarmed by the media as well. While Serena had wanted to meet Ash right away, she waited at the Pokemon Center. However, once Ash entered the Pokemon Center, all bets were off. She rushed him and tackled him. Ash saw her coming and prepared himself. As she hugged him, Ash buried his face in her hair.

Ash had made it to a Pokemon League Final. This was the farthest he had ever been in a tournament. That alone would have made him the happiest person in the world, but having Serena there with him now made everything so much better.

After allowing Ash to breath, Serena let go of Ash as everyone else took their turn in congratulating him. Clemont shook his hand, but pulled Ash in for a brotherly hug. Bonnie was dancing with Dedenne singing her little song. Finally Sawyer came up. At first Ash was thinking Sawyer was going to pick his brains with more questions, but Sawyer didn't.

"I don't know how you do it Ash. I don't think I can ever be like you." Sawyer said. He reached out his arm in a handshake, which Ash accepted.

"Just give it time Sawyer. Soon you'll be just as good as me, maybe even better." Ash replied with a smile.

"It was a good match."

Ash turned to the voice that had just spoken. It was Duran, he had kept his distance until now. He came up to the group and stood in front of Ash.

"Oh...thank you. You ready for an amazing match tomorrow?" Ash asked. Duran smiled and nodded his head.

"I don't want anything less than your best." Duran replied.

"Likewise..."

The two shook hands and Duran left. Tomorrow would be the biggest match of Ash's life. If he won tomorrow, he would be the winner and earn the right to challenge the Elite Four, and if he won against them...challenge Diantha.

 **Author's note: Sorry about the late upload today. Sadly I have some bad news as well. I won't be able to continue to upload the next chapters daily. I will be taking a break from uploading until I finish the story. Think of this as the mid-season finale. Yes, you heard right. There's more to the rest of this story than just the Tournament. The latest I will continue uploading is April 18th, so keep a watch for my next upload. Once I start, I should be done or just about done with the story. Thank you everyone for your support. I didn't think this would get as much attention or as much support as you guys and gals have given it. Thank you.**


	27. Chapter 27: The Finals

**Chapter 27: The Finals**

 **Author's note: Sorry about the late update. I had a story in mind, but it didn't pan out right in my eyes. So I rewrote the whole thing. I'm still writing the new conclusion to Ash and Serena's story, but I will at least give you the conclusion of the Pokemon League Finals.**

"But how is that possible?"

"Legendary Pokemon can do extraordinary things that us humans can't even begin to comprehend.

"But the ability to create...that?!"

"I know..."

"What about your contact? Your apprentice, have you spoken with him yet?"

"I haven't heard from him in months, nor Lysandre for that matter. They seem to have disappeared."

"Well Professor, if this Team Flare can do that with just a piece of Zygarde, I can only dread what would happen if they capture the second half."

"But, while the other half...Squishy is here, it is safe.. Team Flare wouldn't dare attack while you and your Elite Four are here Diantha."

"Do you think we should tell them? Ash and the rest?"

"No, not yet. Ash has gone through enough. Besides...he has a Pokemon League to win today. After this Tournament is over, we'll tell them."

"I thank you for your council Professor. We won't tell Ash and his friends for now. I'll make preparations as best as they can be made. In the meantime, continue to reach out to your apprentice. We might need him in the near future."

* * *

"Huh?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you...everything ok Ash?" Serena asked. She had gotten up early to make breakfast for Ash, but when she checked Ash's room, he and Pikachu had already left. She went outside, the sun just under the horizon. Ash must have left just after 4am, once the curfew had lifted. She searched the village grounds for Ash. Most of the village was still asleep, but there were still some people out and about. Either enjoying the early morning air, or out for a jog.

Serena saw Ash sitting on a bench in one of the practice arenas that were all over the village. He was looking out toward the pre-dawn sky, awaiting the sun to rise.

"Oh it's fine, just out here getting some fresh air." Ash replied. Serena sat down next to Ash, joining him in watching the horizon.

"Did you sleep ok?" Serena asked. She knew how important today would be for Ash.

"Oh yeah. Remember, you're the one that told me to have an early night. So I had an early morning." Ash teased, Serena responded with a smile.

"Well, I was making breakfast until I saw that you weren't in your room. So I went out looking for you." Serena said.

"Sorry if I worried you Serena." Ash said turning to Serena.

"Oh no, it's fine...you ready for today?" Serena asked. She expected Ash to be nervous but that wasn't the case.

"As ready as I'll ever be. I'm going to win." He said as he looked back toward the horizon, clutching his hands into fists. The sun was just peaking over the ridge, illimunating the Pokemon League village. Serena scooted over and sat right next to Ash. She place her hands on Ash's fists. Ash relaxed his fists, opening his hands for Serena.

"I know you will."

* * *

The Pokemon League village was buzzing with excitement. The Pokemon League was drawing to a close as the hour of the Finals was quickly approaching. Whoever won today, would earn the right to challenge the Kalos Elite Four and should they prevail against them, would earn the right to challenge Diantha for the title of Kalos Champion.

The question was, would it be Ash from Pallet Town? Or Duran from Oreburgh City? The thousands of people that were in Pokemon Village were already rooting for their favorite in the finals. Some loved the unpredictability and speed of Ash's Pokemon while others loved the raw power and discipline of Duran's Pokemon.

The hype reached its climax as the entire stadium was filled with the thousands of spectators ready to see the culmination of the hard work from the two best trainers in Kalos. Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, and Sawyer found their seats in the near the middle of battlefield. In fact, they were ushered to their seat by a Pokemon official. She told them that they would have special seating. They noticed that next to them in the stands was a specialized box of seats.

"I wonder what that's for?" Bonnie asked. The seats were surrounded by off limits signs, and a guard on each side.

"I wonder if Diantha will be watching this match." Clemont said out loud. The others looked at him in question. "I mean, what else would they section off this area."

No sooner had Clemont said that, the main tunnel doors opened. The whole stadium quieted down to a low roar as three figures walked out into the light. It was Ash, Duran, and the referee in the middle. As they walked out, the crowd roared as they knew the main event was about to begin. Chants for Ash and Duran could be heard throughout the stands. The three stopped in the middle of the arena. Ash and Duran turned and faced each other, each with a stern and focused look, but Serena could tell each were smiling to the other.

Ever since Duran had beaten Sawyer, the group had begun to respect Duran. Other than Ash's carefree and outgoing nature, they felt that Duran was just like Ash. Though Duran was definitely more stern. They both had the same respect for Pokemon and people, friends and opponents alike.

The referee announced the rules for the Finals. It would be a full 6v6 battle. Both sides would be allowed substitutions, and once one side was out of able Pokemon, the battle would be over. The referee then addressed the crowd,  
"Welcome everyone to the Finals of the Kalos Pokemon League. Will everyone rise as the official party and their guests take their seats."

The crowd all rose as Serena heard commotion from behind her. Like Clemont had guessed, Serena instantly recognized Diantha in her white Champion outfit. Behind her was Mr. Goodshow, and behind them were the Kalos Elite Four. There were others behind them as they took their seats in the restricted section. Serena took an interest in one of the guests. He had red hair, and a red cape. He took his seat next to Diantha and Mr. Goodshow. Diantha took a quick glance at Serena and the group and smiled.

 _ **She must have been the one who gave us these seats.**_

As Diantha took her seat, the rest of the VIP group took theirs. The crowd followed suite and took their seats. The referee then turned back towards the two finalists. He motioned both of them to their respective sides. Ash went to the Green Trainer's side, while Duran went to the Red Trainer's.

"This is it..." Clemont said. Clemont was speaking to himself, but the other's heard him.

"Yeah, but Ash isn't going to lose." Bonnie replied, noticeably not as nervous as the others.

"If anyone can defeat Duran, it's Ash." Sawyer said, his hands clenched in fists.

"I believe in Ash, he won't give up." Serena said. Both her hands under her chin like in a prayer. As if to answer that prayer, Ash looked up to where Serena was. They locked eyes, and smiled. Ash gave a nod and faced Duran on the other side.

"Finalist Ash, are you ready?" As he pointed to Ash. Ash gave a nod as he grabbed his first pokeball.

"Finalist Duran, are you ready?" Duran looked down for an extended period of time, then nodded his head.

"Both Finalists, send out your first Pokemon!" The ref said to both trainers.

"Alright Greninja! C'mon out!" Ash said as he called out his first Pokemon.

"Excadrill, get ready!." Duran called out as he sent out his first Pokemon.

"Both Finalists will make their first move at my signal.." The referee stated, he looked over at both Pokemon.

 _ **At the start use Water Shuriken, see what Duran's Excadrill does and go in with Aerial Ace.**_

"...Let the battle begin!" He said as he lowered his flags.

"Use Earthquake!" Duran shouted.

"Jump in the air!" Ash responded. Excadrill slammed the ground, causing it to shake. Greninja avoided the attack while sending two shurikens at Excadrill.

"Swat them away!" Duran commanded.

Now's your chance, Aerial Ace!

Excadrill swiped at the two shurikens, destroying both of them. Greninja was already going in for the secondary attack.

"Ha, not so fast. Rock Slide!" Duran shouted. From where Excadrill had struck the ground, a shower of rocks came up from the ground and intercepted Greninja, knocking the water frog away.

"You alright Greninja?" Ash asked. Greninja stood up and shook off the debris from its body. It wasn't going to be beaten by one little defensive attack.

"Ok then, use Double Team then go in with Cut!" Ash called out. Soon over two dozen Greninja copies covered Ash's side of the battlefield. They all pulled out their blades and rushed Excadrill.

"Excadrill, use Slash. Cut through them all!" Duran told his Pokemon. Soon Excadrill's claws glowed white. It rushed the horde of Greninja slashing through all the copies. While Excadrill moved and attacked with great agility, the sheer number of Greninja copies were too much and the real Greninja came in at the right time, slashing at Excadrill from the side. Ash knew that a normal move like that wouldn't do much damage, he had to push his advantage.

"Follow up with Water Shuriken!"

Before Excadrill could properly recover, Greninja fired two more shurikens at Excadrill. The mole Pokemon blocked the attack with its claws, but a powerful Water attack like that would have done some damage. Duran thought so too. He knew Excadrill wouldn't be able to defeat Ash's Greninja.

"Excadrill return." Duran said as he recalled his Pokemon. "Rest up, I'll need you later on."

Duran pulled out another Pokeball and sent out his second Pokemon. A Toxicroak appeared, facing off against Greninja. The two Pokemon got set, ready to start battling.

"Ok Greninja, go in with Aerial Ace!" Ash said. As a Flying type attack, it would be super effective against Toxicroak which was part Fighting. Duran didn't retaliate, he stood there as Greninja jumped in the air, launching itself toward Toxicroak. As Greninja came closer, Duran made his move.

"Sucker Punch!" He simply called out. Toxicroak ducked under Greninja's Aerial Ace, and threw a powerful uppercut to Greninja's stomach. Greninja struggled to get up as the wind was knocked out of Greninja.

"Now go in with Focus Punch!" Duran commanded.

"He wants to end it now!" Clemont said.

"What do you mean?" Serena asked.

"Focus Punch is an extremely powerful move, but it takes time to gather enough energy. However if Toxicroak takes any damage, all of that energy will go away." Clemont answered.

Sure enough, Toxicroak was running toward Greninja, though slower than it could. It's right arm was glowing white and increasing in intensity.

"Greninja, stop Toxicroak. Use Water Shuriken!" Ash shouted. Greninja fired two shurikens at Toxicroak who was able to dodge to the attack while keeping its focus.

"Use Aerial Ace!" Ash said. Duran grinned, Aerial Ace would be too weak to defend against Focus Punch. The two Pokemon lunged at each other, ready to strike.

"Now use Double Team!" Ash yelled at the last second. Toxicroak swung at Greninja, but at the last second Greninja had replaced itself with a Double Team copy of itself. Toxicroak could not stop the release of energy from its punch as it vaporized the Greninja copy. The real Greninja came in from the side and landed a super effective Aerial Ace.

"Payback!" Duran called out. As Toxicroak landed from being launched by Greninja's Aerial Ace, it quickly rushed back at Greninja and struck the water frog Pokemon with a powerful counter attack.

The two Pokemon reset to their sides, both tired out. Greninja had dealt a powerful blow, but the consistent damage it had taken was adding up. Duran wasn't going to let Greninja take any rest. He knew this was one of Ash's most powerful Pokemon, if he could take it out this early, he would be in good shape.

"Now go in with Drain Punch!" Duran called out. Toxicroak used the last of its energy to sprint toward Greninja.

 _ **This is it Greninja!**_

 _ **Ninja!**_

As Toxicroak went in for the attack, it was suddenly tossed back as a towering veil of water shot out, concealing Greninja. The crowd gasped at the sudden turn of events. That is, except for Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, Sawyer, and Diantha.

The veil of water then collapsed in on Greninja, until it formed into a massive water shuriken on it's back. Duran also noticed that Greninja had changed its appearance as well.

 _ **Is that...a Mega Evolution?**_

"Now counter with Aerial Ace!" Ash shouted. As Greninja leapt into the air with incredible speed, Duran could have sword Ash was mimicking some of Greninja's movement. Duran then turned his attention to his Toxicroak who had just gotten back up.

"Poison Jab!" Duran commanded, but it was too late. Greninja had become unbelievably fast. Before Toxicroak could pull back its Poison Jab, Greninja had struck Toxicroak, sending it flying into the wall past Duran, fainted.

"Uh...Toxicroak is unable to battle! Greninja is the winner!" The referee announced. He was just as awe struck as the rest of the stadium.

Duran recalled his Toxicroak, and turned toward Ash. Just as he was about to ask what that was, Greninja turned back into its normal form. As he was staring at the water frog Pokemon, he saw it stumble a bit, but also saw Ash do the same.

"That was something else Ash. I must ask...that wasn't Mega Evolution was it?" Duran asked across the battlefield.

"Well, I think it is. Truth is, we still don't know exactly what it is." Ash said with a faint laugh.

"Well, it was quite impressive but from the looks of it, it drained a lot out of Greninja to pull off. So I'll send out Gallade!" Duran said as he sent out his third Pokemon.

"Another tough attacker. Greninja return." Ash said as he recalled his Pokemon. "You did really good. Let the rest of us handle this."

"Another Fighting type? Well then this is a match up for Hawlucha!" Ash said as he called on his second Pokemon.

"Hmm, we'll see..." Duran said to himself. "Gallade! Retaliate!" He shouted. Gallade bent its knees and launched itself at Hawlucha. Gallade was basically flying but only a foot off the ground.

"Hawlucha jump up and use Flying Press!" Ash responded. Hawlucha jumped up and readied itself for its signature move.

"Not so fast!" Duran shouted. Gallade put one foot down on the ground, and jumped up after Hawlucha, losing no velocity. Hawlucha couldn't react in time as it got hit by a powerful Retaliate.

Hawlucha landed in front of Ash. Struggling to get up after the powerful attack. After getting to its feet, it raised its arms ready to continue battling.

"Ok Hawlucha, go in with Karate Chop!" Ash said. Hawlucha rushed in, eager to retaliate in its own way.

"Counter with Psycho Cut!" Duran shouted. Gallade rushed in as well, its arms glowing with a faint pink color.

The two Pokemon clashed, and even with a type advantage with its attack, Gallade couldn't push Hawlucha back. This is where Hawlucha excelled at, true close quarter fighting.

"Break off and use High Jump Kick followed by Flying Press!" Ash called out. Hawlucha used its wrestling technique to work around Gallade's Psycho Cut and get behind Gallade. Being so close it couldn't launch a full power High Jump Kick, but it still knocked Gallade forward a bit. Using Gallade itself as a spring board, Hawlucha used High Jump Kick to launch itself into the air. Before Gallade could locate Hawlucha, it was slammed by Hawlucha's Flying Press.

As Ash thought that Hawlucha had done some great damage, Gallade turned back toward Hawlucha, ready to strike.

"Again use Psycho Cut!" Duran said. Ash knew Hawlucha wouldn't be able to block another super effective attack.

"Dodge it!" Ash shouted, as it was Hawlucha's only move left. The two Pokemon then went around the battlefield. Gallade swinging with powerful Psychic attacks, and Hawlucha using its great agility to dodge them. Ash could see the strain the attack was doing to Gallade. The longer Gallade was using its power in its attack, the more tired it would be.

"Keep it up Hawlucha!" Ash shouted, encouraging his Pokemon.

Duran saw the same thing. His Gallade could not keep up its attack as Psycho Cut was draining too much energy. However he saw that Hawlucha was tiring too. One more attack was all that was needed. Psycho Cut may be powerful but it was slow, at least slow enough for Hawlucha to dodge. However Duran had another move that was faster...

"Gallade! Use Close Combat!" Duran shouted across the battlefield. Gallade's arms stopped glowing pink, and all of a sudden Gallade sped up. It was too much for Hawlucha who couldn't keep up with Gallade's new speed. Gallade landed over a dozen strikes on Hawlucha, finally sending it back, fainted.

"Hawlucha is unable to battle. Gallade is the winner!" The referee announced.

Duran had evened up the battle, but it was far from over. With both Ash and Duran still having 5 Pokemon left, the Kalos Pokemon League Final is just getting started. Will Duran keep the momentum in his favor, or will Ash come up with another strategy to bring the battle back in his favor? Find out next time!


	28. Chapter 28: The Finals, Part 2

**Chapter 28: The Finals, Part 2**

"Professor..."

"Alain! Thank goodness you answered. I've been trying to reach you for over a month! Where have you been?" Professor Sycamore asked, both relieved and frustrated at finally reaching his apprentice, Alain.

"Sorry. I've been with Lysandre investigating...an anomaly in the sea west of Kalos. It seemed to block any signal from getting in or out." Alain replied.

"What anomaly? Is everything ok?" Sycamore asked. He had a bad feeling that the anomaly was the same thing Diantha had showed him just a few hours ago.

"Yes, I'm fine. Lysandre believes this was the work of Zygarde." Alain explained.

"That's actually what I was calling for." Sycamore explained, "Do you remember what I taught you about the Legendary Pokemon Zygarde?"

"That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about. You see, we believe the anomaly has something to do with Zygarde itself and need your knowledge on the subject." Alain explained, but Sycamore cut him off.

"Alain...this anomaly. Is it on an island where a massive tree just suddenly appeared?" Sycamore asked, going straight to the point.

"Yes, how did..." Alain said.

"I'll explain later. Is Lysandre there with you?" Sycamore asked.

"Uh, yes..." Alain said as he handed his phone over to Lysandre.

"Professor Sycamore, it's so good to hear from you. I'm sorry we haven't talked sooner, but I'm sure Alain here has told you about this anomaly we've been investigating?" Lysandre said.

"Yes, I've just recently seen aerial pictures of the island. Truly facinating, but there's something at work here." Sycamore said

"Oh?" Lysandre asked.

"You see, it has come to my attention that this anomaly is the work of Team Flare," Sycamore explained. When he mentioned Team Flare, Lysandre made sure Alain couldn't hear.

"I've also dug up some research from other scientists in the region, and they speculate that Zygarde is actually two cores merged together. I know of the whereabouts of one of the cores, so Team Flare must have the other core if they could do that." Sycamore finished.

"I personally don't know much about the Legendary Pokemon Zygarde, but if what you say is true..." Lysandre said.

"It has to be. When's the earliest you can get to the Pokemon League?" Sycamore asked.

"The Pokemon League? Why is that?" Lysandre answered back.

"Because that's where Diantha and I are keeping a close eye on the second Zygarde core. Right now, this is the safest place to keep it from Team Flare." Sycamore replied. Lysandre's eyes lit up.

"Alain and I will be there by tomorrow evening." Lysandre answered.

Professor Sycamore hung up the phone, relieved that he had reached Alain and Lysandre. He turned his attention back to the T.V monitor that was showcasing the Kalos League Finals.

* * *

"Let's go Sceptile!" Ash called out as he sent out his third Pokemon. Ash had taken out Duran's Toxicroak while weakening his Excadrill and Gallade as well. Duran had defeated his Hawlucha while weakening his Greninja.

"Due to using Close Combat, my Gallade's defenses will be down. Gallade return." Duran said as he called his Pokemon back.

"And since your Sceptile is out, I'll choose Magmar!" Duran shouted as he called on his fourth Pokemon.

This isn't good...If I recall Sceptile now, his Magmar will just have a free hit on whatever Pokemon I call out.

"Ok Sceptile, use Energy Ball!" Ash called out.

"Burn it down! Flamethrower!" Duran answered. Sceptile's Energy Ball was beaten by Magmar's Flamethrower, but Sceptile was able to dodge it.

"Close in with Fire Punch" Duran said. Magmar's fist grew brighter as the fire around it burned even more ferociously. Magmar was fast, but Ash knew Sceptile was faster.  
"Dodge it and use Dragon Pulse!" Ash responded. Sceptile jumped over Magmar as it tried to hit the Grass Pokemon with a super effective punch. Magmar turned to Sceptile as it fired a Dragon Pulse at it.

"Counter with Flamethrower!" Duran called out. The two attacks collided, but Sceptile's was stronger. Without the type advantage, Magmar's Flamethrower had been overpowered. Magmar tried to dodge the Dragon Pulse, but it wasn't as fast as Sceptile. Magmar just avoided a direct hit from Dragon Pulse, but it had still caused some damage to Magmar.

"Heh not bad, but let's see what you do with this" Duran told Ash. "Magmar use Will-O-Wisp!"

A blue fireball came out of Magmar's mouth, zooming toward Sceptile. It dodged it easily, but Magmar continued to fire multiple Will-O-Wisps at Sceptile.

"Will-O-Wisp is a weak fire attack that Magmar can use effortlessly and while it may be weak it'll really hurt if it lands on your Sceptile." Duran said as Magmar launched another barrage of Will-O-Wisps.

"We'll just power threw them, Sceptile use Dragon Pulse again!" Ash responded. He knew Magmar would eventually hit its mark and burn Sceptile, so he had to take the offensive while Sceptile still could.

"Magmar counter this time with Fire Blast!" Duran called out, he had been waiting for Ash to make his move. Dragon Pulse and Fire Blast met in the middle of the battlefield. A great explosion erupted causing both Pokemon to shield themselves from the flash. However the two attacks didn't end in a stalemate.

As Sceptile shielded itself from the explosion, the Fire Blast came rushing through hitting Sceptile with a crippling super effective attack. As the dust settled, Sceptile was on the ground struggling to get up.

"Good work Magmar, if Sceptile still wants to fight then finish it with Fire Punch!" Duran told his Pokemon. Magmar ran towards Sceptile, ready to finish off another of Ash's Pokemon.

"We're now done yet!" Ash yelled.

Magmar struck at Sceptile, but something unexpected happened. Sceptile was engulfed in a green aura and it had stopped Magmar's Fire Punch with it's own attack, Leaf Blade.

"Sceptile's ability...It's fighting spirit is strong." Duran muttered to himself. Sceptile stood up, pushing back against Magmar.

Amazing Sceptile...but you won't last long like this.

"One more time Sceptile, Dragon Pulse!" Ash called out to his Pokemon.

"At that range?!" Duran exclaimed, shocked at Ash's move, "Magmar, Fire Blast!"

Ash, Duran, and the rest of the crowd braced as the two Pokemon unleashed their devastating attacks at point blank range.

"Sceptile!"

"Magmar!"

Both Ash and Duran called out to their Pokemon as the dust blinded them from their Pokemon. The crowd awaited eagerly to find out who had won the encounter. As the dust cleared, Magmar was the first to be seen. It was laying on the ground, fainted. The referee looked over to see Sceptile. It too was laying down, fainted.

"Both Magmar and Sceptile are unable to battle!" The referee announced. Both Ash and Duran recalled their Pokemon.

"You did great Sceptile. I'm so proud of you." Ash said to his Pokeball containing Sceptile.

"That Ash kid is really something else. Don't worry Magmar, we'll win this." Duran said.

The referee pointed at both trainers, telling them to call on their next Pokemon. Ash was first, as he called on his fourth Pokemon.

"C'mon out Noivern!" The Dragon Pokemon circled the arena before hovering in front of Ash, waiting on its opponent.

"Excadrill, let's go!" Duran said as he called out his first Pokemon for the second time. Ash wondered if Excadrill had recovered from its battle with his Greninja.

"Noivern, use Dragon Pulse!" Ash said as he started the next round in the Finals.

"Dodge it with Dig!" Duran countered. Excadrill dug through the ground, escaping from Noivern's Dragon Pulse and sight.

"Noivern, fly higher. It won't be able to get you up there." Ash told Noivern. The Dragon Pokemon flew higher, up to the height of the stadium itself. There Noivern waited for Excadrill to resurface.

"Heh, that won't help Ash. Now Excadrill, use Iron Head!" Duran shouted. The ground started to shake. It seemed like Excadrill was going around under the battlefield picking up speed, causing the ground to shake more and more.

"Noivern get ready!" Ash warned. Right after, an explosion erupted from the ground and a silver streak sped upward at alarming speed. It was Excadrill, zooming straight for Noivern.

"Dragon Pulse!" Ash shouted.

Noivern fired a quick Dragon Pulse at Excadrill as it closed the distance. However, Excadrill was spinning. Excadrill was using Iron Head like a drill. As Excadrill collided with the Dragon Pulse, the sheer velocity of Excadrill cut right through the attack. Unable to stop Excadrill, Noivern was struck by the Iron Head attack causing it to fall.

"Noivern!" Ash cried out.

Noivern was able to recover, and level out before hitting the ground. Ash looked back up, due to Excadrill's speed and power going up it still hadn't landed back on the ground. It was vulnerable to an attack.

"Noivern use Acrobatics!" Ash called out. Ash knew Noivern would need to recharge its power. Using two Dragon Pulses back to back was already a lot.  
"Defend Excadrill!" Duran shouted to his Pokemon. There wasn't anything Excadrill could do until it landed.

Excadrill skillfully blocked the initial attacks from Noivern, but the speed and agility of Noivern's follow up attacks were too much. Before Excadrill had landed, Noivern had landed seven strikes on Excadrill, with only two of them blocked.

Ash had wondered if Excadrill had recovered from its battle with Greninja earlier. He now had his answer. Noivern may have landed several hits with Acrobatics, but they shouldn't have done a lot of damage to a Steel Type Pokemon. However Ash saw Excadrill panting, tired from the continued stress of battle. He had to take this opportunity to finish Excadrill off before Noivern took too much damage.

 _ **I got it…**_

"Noivern use Dragon Pulse!" Ash said. Noivern fired off another Dragon Pulse.

"Excadrill use Dig!" Duran said. Excadrill jumped back into the hole it had dug earlier, escaping Noivern's attack.

"Alright Noivern, use Boomburst! Aim it directly into the hole!" Ash called out. Noivern flew over the hole Excadrill had just entered and fired off a powerful sound attack into the hole. It took a while for the crowd to realize Ash's plan.

As Noivern kept up its attack, the ground started to vibrate. It was like an Earthquake attack, but there was a strong buzzing sound. Noivern's Boomburst sound waves were going through all the tunnels that Excadrill had dug earlier. With each passing second the vibrations got stronger as the sound waves grew in strength every time they bounced off a wall underground.

"E-Excad-drill g-get out-t of th-here!" Duran shouted, the vibrations rattling his own voice, but there was no way Excadrill could hear its trainer.

As the vibrations grew to an almost unbearable frequency the entire arena floor cracked and crumbled. Ash and Duran were fine as they were on the edge of the destruction. As the dust settled from the implosion, Excadrill was seen among the rubble, fainted.

"Excadrill is unable to battle, Noivern is the winner!" The referee announced, "Due to substantial destruction of the battlefield, there will be a 5 minute break."

Ash and Duran stayed where they were. Duran had recalled his Excadrill while Noivern landed next to Ash. The battlefield floor then lowered into the ground.

"You did great Noivern." Ash said to his Pokemon.

"Pikachu!" The small electric Pokemon next to Ash's feet agreed.

"Noi!" The Dragon Pokemon responded.

Soon the new battlefield floor was being raised into position. As it came into view, Ash saw it was another flat ground field. The referee walked back to his position in the middle, and pointed to Duran.

"Will the Red Finalist please select their next Pokemon." The referee said as the battle resumed.

"Let's go Kabutops!" Duran said as he called on his fifth Pokemon. The fossil Pokemon stood on the battlefield ready for battle as it scraped its two sword arms together.

"Will the Green Finalist switch Pokemon?" The referee asked Ash.

"No, I'm sticking with Noivern." Ash said as Noivern took off, flying into the sky once more.

"Then let the battle continue!" The referee announced.

"Kabutops, use Stone Edge!" Duran shouted as he got the first move in. Kabutops slammed down on the ground. Glowing pillars of stone shot out of the ground, but Noivern was able to dodge them by flying away.

"Noivern use Dragon Pulse." Ash said as Noivern was clear of the Stone Edge.

"Protect!" Duran responded. Kabutops crossed its arms and a green aura surrounded it. The Dragon Pulse slammed into the barrier, but did nothing.

"Kabutops cut down the pillars!" Duran shouted, leaving everyone confused. Kabutops went to each pillar, slicing them up with ease. As Kabutops finished with the last pillar, the battlefield was littered with rock pieces.

"What's he planning…?" Ash said to himself.

"Now use Rock Slide!" Duran said, giving Ash his answer. Kabutops, using the newly cut rocks, sent a barrage of rocks at Noivern.

"Dodge it Noivern!" Ash shouted.

Soon the air was filled with rocks as Kabutops sent all of the debris up to Noivern. The Dragon Pokemon was dodging them for now, but it was running out of space as more and more rocks flew up. It was just a matter of time until Noivern was hit by one of the rocks, and once it did Kabutops sent the rest straight down on Noivern like a waterfall of stone. Noivern was buried under the rubble, fainted.

"Noivern is unable to battle, Kabutops is the winner." The referee announced. Ash and Duran were down to their last three Pokemon.

"I can't send Charizard against Kabutops. Greninja would be a good bet…" Ash said to himself as he recalled Noivern.

"Pika!"

Ash looked down at Pikachu. It wanted to fight. Ash smiled and nodded his head.

"Alright Pikachu, I choose you!" Ash said as Pikachu took its position on the battlefield facing Kabutops.

"Use Quick Attack!" Ash said.

"Aqua Jet!" Duran retaliated. The two speed attacks collided, ending in a draw.

"Use Thunderbolt!" Ash called out immediately. Pikachu's speed and agility completely outclassed Kabutops' so Pikachu was able to turn around, already firing off a Thunderbolt at Kabutops. The super effective attack dealt some good damage to Kabutops, but the fossil Pokemon wasn't going down so easily.

"Counter with Stone Edge!" Duran shouted. Kabutops smashed the ground again, summoning glowing pillars toward Pikachu.

"Pikachu jump into the air and use Iron Tail!" Ash told his Pokemon. As the Stone Edge attack reached Pikachu, the Electric Pokemon used Iron Tail to shatter the pillar.

"Thanks for that, use Rock Slide on the debris!" Duran said with a grin. Kabutops then used the rocks from Pikachu's attack and sent them flying at Pikachu.

"Pikachu use Quick attack to get out of there and then use Electro Ball!" Ash shouted. Pikachu ran around the battlefield, being chased by a dozen rocks. As Pikachu ran it charged up its Electric attack on its tail. As it finished, Pikachu ran towards Kabutops.

"Use Protect." Duran said. Didn't matter how powerful Electro Ball was, Kabutops would be able to block it with Protect.

"Now use Electro Ball with Iron Tail!" Ash told Pikachu as it closed the distance. Pikachu's tail then glowed white as it balanced the Electro Ball. Pikachu jumped up and launched the Electro Ball. The attack collided with Kabutops' green aura, but Pikachu kept on charging.

"Oh no…" Was all Duran could say.

As Kabutops' green aura dissipated from the Electro Ball attack, Pikachu went in and slammed Kabutops with an Iron Tail. Kabutops turned to Pikachu as it continued to run past it.

"No, behind you!"

Kabutops turned back toward its Trainer, but it was too late. The Rock Slide attack that was chasing Pikachu was still coming, but now Kabutops was in the way. The rocks struck Kabutops in the back knocking it down. Kabutops struggled to get up, the double attack from Iron Tail and its own Rock Slide was devastating. As it got to its knees, Kabutops energy ran out and it collapsed back to the ground, fainted.

"Kabutops is unable to battle, Pikachu is the winner." The referee announced.

"Yes! Good job Pikachu and Ash!" Serena shouted as the crowd cheered.

"That means Duran is down to only two Pokemon." Sawyer stated. The group looked up at the score board at the top of the stadium opposite them. Ash still had three Pokemon. Pikachu's picture was colored in, Greninja's was grayed out, and what would be Charizard was still a Pokeball symbol. On Duran's side, Kabutops' picture blacked out, leaving Duran with only a grayed out Gallade picture, and one Pokeball symbol.

"And you can guess what Duran's last Pokemon is going to be…" Clemont said.

"His Tyranitar…" Serena said. Ash was in the lead again, but she knew the battle was far from over. The group had been on the edge of their seats for the whole match, but none were more nervous than Serena. Little did anyone know, she was actually more nervous than Ash.

"C'mon out Gallade!" Duran said as he called on his third Pokemon for the second time. It had battled Hawlucha, and while it had won that round, Hawlucha had tired out Gallade. But Gallade did have time to recover, and it looked ready as it squared off against Pikachu. Duran wasn't going to let anything to chance however.

"Gallade us Drain Punch." Duran said as he took the first move. Gallade went in for an attack, but it wasn't fast enough to hit Pikachu. Even if Gallade was fresh, it would still have a hard time catching Pikachu.

"Good job Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash said once Pikachu was clear.

"Block it with Psycho Cut!" Duran responded. As the Thunderbolt hit Gallade, it raised both arms to stop the attack. The Psycho Cut had absorbed most of the attack, but Gallade still felt the shock.

"Now go in with Iron Tail!" Ash said, seeing Gallade falter. Pikachu went in and swung at Gallade.

"Counter with Night Slash!" Duran called out at the last second. Gallade parried Pikachu's Iron Tail and slashed Pikachu with its second arm, knocking the Electric mouse Pokemon back. Even though Gallade had deflected and attacked Pikachu with no harm to itself, it stumbled again to one knee. It had used too much power earlier, and was now feeling too weak to even stand properly. Pikachu was fine, ready to attack once more to end the round, but Ash didn't call out an attack.

"Pikachu, hold up." Ash said. Duran saw this and smiled. He had done this to Sawyer in the 4th round, and now he was being given the same courtesy. He looked to Gallade, it was breathing heavily out of breath, still on one knee. One more attack from Pikachu, or itself, would drain all of its energy.

"Gallade! GALLADE!"

Gallade had turned its head to Duran. It had sensed Duran's impending decision. It had no intentions of giving up. Duran smiled at his Pokemon's determination, and knew that it would never give up while it could still fight.

"Alright Gallade. One more time…Psycho Cut!" Duran said as he gave his Pokemon one last command. Gallade's arms glowed a slight pink as Gallade summoned the last of its power. It struggled as it got to its feet, but as soon as Gallade found its footing, it sprinted toward Pikachu.

"Stop Gallade with Electro Ball!" Ash told Pikachu, the Electric Pokemon fired off a yellow energy ball at Gallade before it could reach Pikachu. Using one of its arms, it deflected the attack and kept on running. The arm it had used to block was now lowered, the pinkish aura had disappearing from that arm. Gallade continued to run with its other arm still glowing.

"Iron Tail!" Ash shouted as Gallade closed the distance. Pikachu met Gallade's one armed Psycho cut with its Iron Tail. The two were locked in a stalemate, Pikachu trying to push back Gallade but it was at a disadvantage being stuck in the air.

"Gal…..LADE!" Gallade cried as it used all of its power to send Pikachu flying, the Psycho Cut winning against Pikachu's Iron Tail. Pikachu was bruised up, but it landed on its feet. The same could not be said for Gallade. As it launched Pikachu, Gallade had used every bit of strength it had. Gallade lost consciousness as it fell to the ground, fainted.

"Gallade is unable to battle, Pikachu is the winner!" The referee stated. Duran walked out onto the field to check on Gallade. The crowd was silent as Duran knelt down next to his Pokemon. As he lifted Gallade into his arms, the Pokemon regained consciousness.

"You did amazing Gallade, I'm lucky to have you as my partner." Duran said as he recalled his Pokemon back into its Pokeball. Duran got back up, and walked back to his side of the battlefield.

"What your Gallade did was very brave Duran." Ash said. Duran just nodded as turned around.

"I'm guessing you know who my last Pokemon is?" Duran asked as he presented a Pokeball in his hand.

"Tyranitar…" Ash said under his breath.

"You're my last hope partner! Let's go...Tyranitar!" Duran shouted as he unleashed his final Pokemon. The mountain Pokemon appeared on the battlefield, towering over Pikachu.

Soon the ground started to shift as dust from the ground rose and circled the arena. Ash knew what was happening. This was Tyranitar's ability. Soon the arena was engulfed in a sandstorm. The crowd wasn't affected by the localized sandstorm but it was difficult to see.

Ash was ready for this, thanks to Clemont's invention: The Sandstorm Deflector Goggles. Ash put them on, now able to see the battle without using his arms to hide from the dirt flying around.

 _ **You know…these are just goggles.**_

Ash laughed a little as he realized Clemont's invention was just a pair of goggles but now wasn't the time to be distracted.

"Alright Pikachu, use Quick Attack. Go in the direction of the sandstorm!" Ash called out to his Pokemon. The sandstorm was rotating clockwise, so Pikachu ran in that direction.

While Pikachu was having difficulty seeing through the sandstorm, Tyranitar had no problems. It waited until Pikachu would get closer.

"Steady Tyranitar…and…now! Stone Edge!" Duran said as he waited for the perfect time to strike. Tyranitar stomped down on the ground, making it shake violently as stone pillars rose from the ground. Pikachu was just about to strike, but as Tyranitar attacked, it lost its footing as a pillar struck Pikachu from the side.

"You ok Pikachu?!" Ash called out as the sandstorm continued to rage on. Pikachu got up gingerly and ran back to Ash to reset.

"Alright Pikachu use Iron Tail!" Ash told Pikachu.

"Defend yourself." Duran said calmly. Pikachu ran up and struck Tyranitar with a super effective attack. Tyranitar had blocked the attack with one of its arms, keeping the damage to a minimum.

"Now Payback!" Duran shouted. Tyranitar then swung at Pikachu using its other arm, knocking Pikachu clear out of the sandstorm. Pikachu landed past Ash, skidding on the ground until it hit the wall, fainted.

"Pikachu is unable to battle, Tyranitar is the winner." The referee stated. The crowd on the other side of the referee couldn't hear the call, but they knew that it happened. Ash picked up Pikachu and brought him back to the Trainer's box.

"You did great Pikachu, let the rest of us win it." Ash said as he stood back up.

"Pika…" Pikachu said as it sat down.

"Alright c'mon out Greninja!" Ash said as he called out his first Pokemon. It had recovered from its initial fight against Toxicroak and Excadrill. Duran knew that he had to go all out on this one. This new form that Ash's Greninja took on was very similar to Mega Evolution, in both shape and power.

 _ **Alright Greninja, Tyranitar is our last obstacle. Let's give it everything we…**_

Ash was interrupted as the sandstorm all of a sudden grew stronger. There was a glow emitting from the center of it as Tyranitar gave a mighty roar. Ash couldn't see what happened even with his goggles so he used Greninja to help.

 _ **Oh boy…that isn't good.**_

 _ **Ninja…**_

Through Greninja's eyes, Ash saw that Tyranitar had changed…it had Mega Evolved. The sandstorm receded partially, revealing Mega Tyranitar to Ash and the rest of the crowd. The crowd gasped as the already massive Pokemon and became even larger as six large spikes protruded from its back.

"No way!" Sawyer gasped, "I didn't know Duran could mega evolve it!"

The crowd was in awe as it saw the second Mega Evolution used in the tournament. Not only that, but the crowd started to cheer louder. They had seen Ash take down a Mega Gengar, now they wanted to see how he would do against a Mega Tyranitar.

"Use Stone Edge!" Duran called out. Mega Tyranitar roared as it attacked. It roared loud enough for people to cover their ears. Mega Tyranitar's Stone Edge was something else. As it stomped the ground, over a dozen pillars shot out of the ground, and more were heading towards Greninja.

Even in a sandstorm, Greninja was able to see where it was going and successfully dodged the Stone Edge attack.

 _ **Alright, you ready Greninja?**_

 _ **Ninja!**_

On the edge of the sandstorm, the crowd saw a torrent of water bursting through. They had seen this earlier during the fight and started to cheer. As the water subsided, the crowd was disappointed they couldn't see Greninja's new form as it was hidden in the sandstorm. Duran couldn't see Greninja as well. As soon as the torrent of water subsided, Greninja had disappeared.

"Stay on guard Tyranitar!" Duran told his Pokemon. Mega Tyranitar began scanning its surroundings for the elusive water frog.

 _ **Use Water Shuriken!**_

From out of the sandstorm Mega Tyranitar saw two Water shurikens zoom at it. It defended itself, letting the shurikens hit its arms.

"Tyranitar! Stop the sandstorm, we won't be able to see it like this!" Duran shouted to his Pokemon. Mega Tyranitar reluctantly agreed and stopped the sandstorm. As the dust settled, people saw Greninja. It had mud all over its skin. It had used the sandstorm and the water veil when it transformed to make its skin brown. Using its power, it formed a veil around itself again and washed off the mud, returning Greninja to its natural blue color.

"Ha, so that's why we couldn't see it. Your Greninja truly takes after a ninja." Duran complimented, "But now it can't hide! Use Thunder Punch!"

Mega Tyranitar rushed towards Greninja, faster than Ash thought possible for such a massive Pokemon.

"Dodge it and use Water Shuriken!" Ash said. While Mega Tyranitar was surprisingly fast, it still wasn't as fast or agile as Greninja. Mega Tyranitar missed, but it was able to parry the shurikens with its Thunder Punch.

"You won't be able to run forever, Tyranitar use Stone Edge on the entire battlefield!" Duran shouted. Mega Tyranitar roared and smashed the ground, creating a crater under it. Dozens of pillars shot out of the ground, the sudden attack from everywhere caught Greninja off guard, it was hit by one of the pillars as it shot up and slammed into another. Ash felt a surge of pain go through his back as Greninja was hit, but he stood his ground.

"Now use Thunder Punch!" Duran commanded. Mega Tyranitar smashed through the pillars to get to Greninja.

 _ **Get up! Tyranitar is coming right at you!**_

Greninja couldn't see Tyranitar due to a pillar in its way, but using Ash's sightline through their connection it was able to dodge at the right time. Greninja jumped on a nearby pillar out of reach of Mega Tyranitar, in between Ash and Mega Tyranitar.

"Now use Water Shuriken times two!" Ash called out. From its perch, Greninja fired off four shurikens at Mega Tyranitar. Once again it parried all of them using Thunder Punch.

"And now counter with Thunder Wave!" Duran called out.

"What?!" Ash gasped. The surprise attack caught Ash and Greninja off guard. The Thunder Wave connected, and stunned Greninja. Much to everyone's surprise as Greninja was shocked, Ash cried out as well.

"AAAAH!"

As Greninja fell from its pillar, Ash fell to his knees. The crowd gasped, still confused at what happened. Serena stood up with her hands over her mouth. She knew that Ash felt the same paralysis as Greninja.

"Tyranitar! Did you attack Ash as well?!" Duran shouted at his Pokemon. Mega Tyranitar turned around and shook its head. It was just as surprised as everyone else. Diantha herself had rose to her feet, wondering to see if Ash was alright. Sparks could be seen coming from Ash just like Greninja signaling that he was paralyzed with electricity as well.

"This match is terminated! Due to an illegal attack toward an opposing trainer..." The referee started.

"No!"

It was Ash that interrupted the referee. Ash slowly got to his feet, struggling against the paralysis.

"Tyranitar did not attack me...it's hard to explain, but while Greninja is in this form, we're connected in such a way that...I can see, hear, and...feel whatever happens to Greninja. Don't stop this match..." Ash said with as he was gasping for air. Greninja had gotten to its feet as well, fighting the paralysis.

The crowd look on with wonder at how this was possible. Everyone except Clemont, Bonnie, Serena, and Diantha and were surprised at this turn of events.

The referee didn't know what to do. This had never happened before, but if Ash didn't want the match to end...

"If the Finalist wishes to go on then let the match continue"

The crowd had turned toward the new voice that had spoken. It was Diantha. The referee nodded and turned towards both trainers. Duran was relieved. Not that he wasn't disqualified, but that Ash was alright and that Tyranitar hadn't attacked him…at least not directly.

"Green Finalist, are you...ready?" He asked Ash. Ash nodded, so the referee raised his flag and resumed the match.

"Duran!" Ash shouted across the battlefield, "Don't worry about hurting me. I've endured Greninja taking a beating before." He said encouraging Duran to continue to give it his all.

"Alright Ash, but I'll let you have the first move." Duran responded.

 _ **Alright Greninja, we may only have one shot at this...**_

"Greninja use Water Shuriken, everything you got!" Ash shouted. Greninja mustered its strength and fired off eight shurikens in under two seconds until it suffered from its paralysis which Ash felt as well.

"Defend using Thunder Punch!" Duran said. Mega Tyranitar powered up as it was about to parry the shurikens.

"Now use Mega Shuriken!" Ash cried out through the pain. Greninja then rose to its feet again. Fighting the paralysis it jumped into the air and reached for the shuriken on its back. With all its power it fired its Mega Shuriken at Mega Tyranitar. Mega Tyranitar was busy with the barrage of Water Shurikens it couldn't parry the Mega Shuriken.

The Mega Shuriken smashed into Mega Tyranitar, allowing the last three Water Shurikens to hit as well for a devastating super effective attack.

 _ **Good...work Greninja**_

"Payback!" Duran shouted. Mega Tyranitar got up and rushed Greninja. At the worst time, Greninja was stopped due to the paralysis allowing Mega Tyranitar to successfully strike Greninja. Ash felt the wind knocked out of him, leaving him breathless. Greninja laid on the ground and turned back to its normal form, fainted.

"Greninja is unable to battle, Tyranitar is the winner." The referee stated.

Ash returned Greninja to its Pokeball. Due to their connection being weakened considerably after Greninja changed back, Ash felt much better. The paralysis left him, but he was still sore. Ash stood up and looked over at Mega Tyranitar. It was breathing heavily, the last attack Greninja had launched did a substantial amount of damage. Ash had one Pokemon left. It would be difficult but he trusted his Pokemon completely.

"Will the Green Finalist bring out their final Pokemon." The referee stated.

"It's all up to you Charizard!" Ash called out as he sent out his last Pokemon.

The crowd went silent as they prepared themselves for what would happen next. This was it, the Finals of the Kalos Pokemon League had come down to the final two Pokemon. It couldn't have gone any better.

"Huh? Charizard isn't wearing your harness Serena." Bonnie stated as Charizard appeared.

Serena saw and wondered why Ash hadn't used her harness for Charizard's mega stone. During the past few days she had worked on a more permanent harness that was sturdier, stronger, and more durable like the one she had seen on Alain's Charizard.

"Maybe Ash believes that he and Charizard don't need it now?" Serena answered.

"Or maybe Ash wants to keep Charizard's power a secret until later on." Clemont said.

"But this is the finals, what else does Ash...oh, unless he wants to keep it a secret from the Elite Four and Diantha." Bonnie said, realizing Ash's plan. Clemont nodded as he looked on as the battle between Charizard and Mega Tyranitar was about to begin.

"Flamethrower!"

"Stone Edge!"

Charizard fired a powerful blast of fire at Mega Tyranitar. The attack was blocked by Stone Edge, though it took three of the pillars to fully stop the flame. More pillars shot up toward Charizard but it flew higher to avoid the attack.

"Tyranitar, create a sandstorm again. Charizard won't be able to fly in it for long." Duran commanded. Since Greninja was no longer part of the battle, Mega Tyranitar could use its ability to its own advantage.

With a roar, Mega Tyranitar unleashed a mighty sandstorm that quickly engulfed the battlefield. Charizard was getting hit by debris but it stayed strong and in the air.

"Fly around with the sandstorm and use Flamethrower!" Ash shouted to his Pokemon. Ash had again put on his goggles to better see the battle.

Going along with the sandstorm, Charizard flew around Mega Tyranitar firing off powerful Flamethrowers at the Mega Pokemon but it wasn't doing much damage. The Flamethrower was being weakened the longer it went through the sandstorm. Ash had to get Charizard closer to Mega Tyranitar to do some real damage. As Charizard went around the backside of Mega Tyranitar, Ash made his move.

"Now dive in with Steel Wing!" Ash called out.

"Catch it Tyranitar!" Duran responded.

Charizard slammed into Mega Tyranitar pushing it back several yards but Mega Tyranitar held on and eventually stopped Charizard, holding the Fire Pokemon in place in the middle of the battlefield.

"Now use Flamethrower!"

At point blank range, Charizard fired at Mega Tyranitar, engulfing its upper body in flame.

"Keep it up Charizard!" Ash cried out.

"Use Crunch!" Duran shouted.

Mega Tyranitar pushed through the Flamethrower and clamped down on Charizard's shoulder and the base of its neck. Charizard roared as Mega Tyranitar tightened its grip on its wings and shoulder.

"Charizard use Dragon Claw, get out of there!" Ash shouted. Charizard was in a bad spot.

Charizard's free arms glowed a pale green. Charizard started swinging at Mega Tyranitar's head, trying to free it from the Crunch attack. Mega Tyranitar wasn't letting go. It brought down Charizard from the air, but Charizard was able to land on its feet. The two Pokemon were still locked together. Mega Tyranitar towered over Charizard as it held on to both of its wings with its arms. Charizard continued to use Flamethrower and Dragon Claw, trying desperately to get Mega Tyranitar to release its Crunch.

 _ **Darn it…C'mon Charizard, keep it up**_.

As Ash was looking on through the sandstorm, he noticed that the storm itself was dying down. He could see Mega Tyranitar and his Charizard more clearly. Mega Tyranitar was looking visibly weaker, but Ash knew that if he didn't do anything soon, his Charizard would faint first. He then went to a move that he was teaching his Charizard ever since they reunited several weeks ago.

"Charizard give it everything you got! BLAST BURN!" Ash shouted.

"Hold on Tyranitar!" Duran cried out.

With a rage induced roar, Charizard soon engulfed itself and Mega Tyranitar in a flame. It grew brighter and hotter as Charizard unleashed its most powerful attack. The ball of fire that surrounded the two Pokemon grew in size, concealing the two in light. Soon both Ash and Duran were shielding their eyes from the intensity. As the light and heat grew almost unbearable for Ash and Duran, Charizard unleashed its attack.

The massive explosion knocked Ash, Duran, and the referee off their feet. The shockwave knocked people's hats off their heads as far up as the top sections.

"Charizard?!"

"Tyranitar?!"

Both Ash and Duran got up, as they looked at the result of Charizard's Blast Burn. There was a towering cloud of dust that mushroomed out at the top which went clear past the top of the stadium. Surrounding the dust cloud, Ash could see parts of the ground were shiny and had a reflected look to it. Charizard's Blast Burn had nearly turned the dirt from the arena into glass. As the cloud receded, a sizeable crater where Charizard and Mega Tyranitar had been dominated the landscape. Ash saw a faint orange shape in the dust.

"Charizard!"

To answer Ash's call, a roar came from the dust cloud. After Charizard appeared from the dust cloud, limping back toward Ash. It stopped once it left the dust cloud and turned back toward it, still standing.

"Tyranitar!" Duran called out, but no answer was made.

Then everyone saw what had happened. In the middle of the crater was Tyranitar, back in its normal form, fainted. The referee picked himself up, his flags broken from the shockwave.

"T-Tyranitar is unable to battle, Charizard is the winner. Which means this year's winner of the Kalos League is Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town!" He announced.

The crowd erupted in a thunderous applause. Ash slumped down from exhaustion, not just from his connection with Greninja, but due to the stress of the whole battle. Pikachu jumped in his lap, cheering and hugging its partner and friend. Ash looked up and saw Charizard standing over him. Before Ash could get up, Charizard fell down out of exhaustion too.

"Hey buddy. You did so amazing. I guess you were right. You didn't need to Mega Evolve." Ash said as he petted Charizard's head. Charizard gave Ash a puff of smoke as it smiled back at its trainer.

"Ash!"

Ash looked to his right and saw Serena running towards him. He was surprised she had jumped down from the stands, but he didn't have time to wonder if that was ok as she tackled him.

"Oomph! Ha, Hey Serena." Ash said as he regained his footing. Serena didn't say anything else, she just hugged Ash as hard as she could and buried her head into his chest.

"Where's your hat?" Ash asked as if everything that had just happened didn't matter. Serena giggled then looked over at Charizard.

"It was blown away from Charizard's attack." She said smiling.

"Oh, sorry about that." Ash said sheepishly.

"It doesn't matter, I'll find it later…but Ash!" Serena said as she suddenly raised her voice. "You won the Kalos League! You did it!"

It hadn't hit Ash until then. After six years of becoming a Pokemon trainer, he had finally won a Pokemon League. Ash looked around, noticing the crowd was still standing and applauding. He noticed Diantha along with the other VIPS. She was clapping as well and smiling as she whispered something to the person standing next to her. Next to them was Clemont, Bonnie and Sawyer, who were cheering. Though Clemont was trying to keep Bonnie in the stands as she tried to follow Serena.

"Ash…"

Ash looked over and saw Duran standing next to him. He had returned his Tyranitar and crossed the battlefield. Serena let go of Ash, letting Ash face Duran.

"That was the greatest battle I've ever had, thank you." Duran said as he extended his hand.

"Likewise Duran. Thank you." Ash replied as he accepted the handshake.

 **Author's note: So there you have it. Ash has finally won the Kalos League, but his greatest challenge is yet to come. I am continuing writing the rest of the story now, so stay tuned. I should start posting the next chapters soon.**


	29. Chapter 29: The Calm before the Storm

**Chapter 29: The Calm before the Storm**

It was the next morning. Ash, Serena and friends walked to the edge of Pokemon Village and continued on through the woods.

"So Ash, who are you going to use as your final team?" Sawyer asked, walking next to Ash.

"I still haven't decided yet, it's going to be tough." Ash said, looking up toward the sky through the trees. He felt a tug at his arm.

"Let's not worry about that now. Today is supposed to be a day of rest for you Ash."

It was Serena. Upon winning the Kalos Pokemon League, Ash was awarded the Winner's Trophy during the ceremony after his triumphant victory over Duran in the Finals. It was presented to him by both Mr. Goodshow and Diantha. Though Diantha knew the answer already, it was still custom to ask Ash if he would challenge her Elite Four. She had barely finished her question when Ash answered with a resounding "Of course!"

As to prepare for the Elite Four Challenge, Ash was given one day of rest and preparation before he would face the first two of the Elite Four. Also, to Ash's surprise, he had the choice of what order to face them. Unlike most other regions, the Kalos Elite Four was not a set order of members. Diantha had made it like this as to say that each member was just as strong as the others. Ash would choose two Elite Four members to fight tomorrow, and then the other two the following day.

The group continued to walk through the woods outside of the Pokemon Village, being led by Ash and Serena.

"Ash, did you decide which two members you'll face tomorrow?" Clemont asked after some time.

"Clemont?! We can worry about that later." Serena half shouted, looking back at Clemont. "Today is for rest, relaxation, and fun."

"But how far is this lake Serena?" Bonnie asked, walking next to her brother.

"We're here." Ash said as they reached the edge of the tree line. Before them was the peaceful lake Serena had found several days ago and had brought Ash to for their first official date.

"Wow…you weren't kidding Serena. It's beautiful." Bonnie exclaimed running in front of the group. Sawyer and Clemont both agreed, marveling at this secluded piece of nature.

The group made camp on the shoreline, next to the water. They released all of their Pokemon so they too could enjoy the day. Ash's Charizard and Sawyer's Salamence were ready to have a mock battle, but Serena stopped them. So instead they went over to the other side of the lake and basked in the sunlight. Greninja went to the hill overlooking the lake and the rest of the clearing. It sat in the tree, keeping a watchful eye on everyone. Even in a peaceful area like this, Greninja was always on guard. The rest of the Pokemon either played with each other in or around the water, or decided to take a nice nap.

After their table was set up, everyone took off their outer clothing, revealing their swimsuits. They all jumped into the water, joining their Pokemon in the fun. Ash and Sawyer were having a swimming contest and going all the way to the other end of the lake, while Bonnie was playing with Dedenne and Squishy.

With so many people at the Pokemon League, Squishy had been hiding in her small bag almost the entire time. However, Squishy did poke its head out during the climax of the match between Ash and Duran. But here, with nobody around but friends, it gladly joined in.

Clemont was looking at some of the wild Pokemon that were there while Serena went up to the hill where Greninja was.

"Ninja?"

"Hey Greninja, is everything alright?" Serena asked as Greninja jumped down from his perch in the tree. The Pokemon nodded.

"Are you feeling ok from yesterday?" Serena asked more specifically. Greninja knew what she was going with this. During its battle with Mega Tyranitar it had been hit by a Thunder Wave, causing not only it to be paralyzed, but Ash as well.

"Could you promise me something?" Serena said, asking one more question. Greninja looked at her with a confused look, though Greninja thought it knew what she was going to ask.

"When you…evolve again. Please be careful." She said. Greninja knew this was for Ash, though it did not doubt Serena wanted it to be safe as well. Greninja nodded, making Serena sigh with some relief.

"YES!"

Both Serena and Greninja looked down toward the sounds. Ash had just beaten Sawyer back to their side of the lake by less than a second.

"Ha…ho. That was close Sawyer." Ash said gasping for air. Sawyer was in a similar state as they both sat down on their towels near the lake.

"Huh, where's Serena?" Ash asked, looking around.

"I'm up here!" Serena called down. Due to the quiet surroundings, even up on the hill Serena heard Ash calling for her.

"Hey!" Ash waved, "What are you doing up there?" He asked.

"Just enjoying the view." She replied.

"You should dive into the water Serena!" Bonnie shouted from the water. Serena looked down. She wasn't afraid of heights, but she felt it was too high of a drop.

"No, that's fine. I'll just come down." Serena said with a hint of anxiety. Ash sensed it, and a grin creeped on his face.

 _ **Hey Greninja, wanna do me a favor?**_

 _ **Greninja Ninja!**_

Without even asking, Greninja knew what Ash wanted it to do. It looked down and saw a good deep part of the lake. Greninja grabbed Serena and jumped off the cliff side.

"Ah?! Greninja, NO!"

That was all Serena could get out before both her and Greninja plunged into the water. They resurfaced with Greninja letting go of Serena.

"Greninja! Why did you do that?!" Serena shouted as she looked back at the devious Pokemon. Greninja just gave her smile.

"Ninja!"

Serena heard laughter from the shoreline and saw Ash trying not to laugh.

 _ **Ash…you did this!**_

"Ash Ketchum, I know you told Greninja to do that!" Serena said as she swam to shore. Ash knew he was in trouble and looked to his friends for help. Clemont and Bonnie had mysteriously disappeared and Sawyer was backing up with his hands in the air. He wasn't going to get involved. Serena had made it land and was walking very fast towards Ash.

"Oh boy…" Ash said, he took off running, with Serena following behind.

"Get back here Ash!" She yelled.

Greninja looked on, laughing at his partner's situation. Even though it had done the deed, it wasn't in trouble. That is…until Greninja heard something behind it. Greninja turned around just in time to have a Flamethower hit it in the face. After recovering, Greninja saw that it was Braixen that had fired it. Braixen went up to Greninja with an angered look, her paws on her hips, and her stick wand still in hand.

Greninja knew it deserved the Flamethrower. It scratched the back of its head in a sheepish manner and laughed again. Braixen continued to look angry for a second, but then surrendered to the laughter building inside. Both Greninja and Braixen laughed as Ash disappeared into the tree line with Serena hot on his heels.

"I'm sorry Serena!" Ash called out, pleading his case.

"You will be!" Serena answered back. She was about two seconds behind Ash going through the woods. She wouldn't be able to keep up with Ash due to his superior athletic ability, so she had to try another route.

"Ah! Ow! Ash!"

Ash turned around and saw that Serena was gone. He stopped and heard Serena cry out for him again. He went back and found Serena behind the nearest tree. It seemed she had tripped over a tree root.

"Oh Serena, are you ok!" Ash said as he knelt down next to her. This was his fault. If he hadn't ran, then Serena wouldn't have gotten hurt.

"Now I am!" Serena said as she pounced on Ash.

Ash, not expecting Serena to lunge at him, fell over on his back with Serena sitting on his stomach area. Ash tried to get up, but Serena grabbed both of his arms and kept him pinned.

"Gah, ok ok. I give up Serena." Ash said, accepting defeat.

Serena looked down at Ash and blushed deeply. Even though Ash knew she was mad at him, he still came to see if she was ok without hesitation. She also noticed that they were now alone in some part of the forest.

"Uh…Serena?" Ash said as he noticed Serena was zoning out.

"Oh, I can't stay mad at you Ash." Serena said as she lowered her head and kissed Ash on the lips. Having Serena on top of him kissing, made the experience so much different, and Ash liked it. He returned the kiss.

"Ash? Serena? Where are you?"

Serena and Ash separated just before Clemont, Bonnie, and Sawyer came into view. The three friends looked at Ash and Serena with confused looks as they stood up from the ground. Serena knew how this looked, so she had to play the part.

"I hope that teaches you Ash!" Serena said as she playfully punched Ash in the arm. She put her arms behind her and held her head high as she walked away with a smile. The rest laughed together and made their way back to camp. Ash was lost in his thoughts his kiss with Serena.

When they returned to the lake, all their Pokemon were there waiting for them, including Charizard and Salamence who flew over from their spot. The food was just about done cooking, as everyone noticed by the sweet smell.

After drying up from swimming all day, the group changed into their regular clothes and sat down at their makeshift table. Serena sat down next to Ash as if nothing happened, which was weird for Sawyer.

"So you aren't mad at Ash?" He asked to Serena. She gave Ash a smile before answering.

"Oh I wasn't mad..." Serena said, "but I don't think Ash will try anything like that again, right?" She asked with a wink only Ash could see.

"Ah ha...I don't think so." Ash said sheepishly. The group laughed it off, but Ash was wondering what that wink was about.

At the end of the day, the group packed up and prepared to go back to the Pokemon Village. As they headed through the woods, Sawyer broke the silence.

"So Ash, have you decided now who you're going to face first tomorrow?" He asked, looking back toward Ash. Serena and Ash were holding hands toward the back of the group. Ash looked at Serena who gave him a kiss on the cheek, telling him it was ok.

"Well from what Diantha told me of her Elite Four yesterday...there's Malva who specializes in Fire Pokemon, Drasna who has Dragon Pokemon. There's also Wikstrom who not surprisingly has Steel Pokemon, and finally Siebold who has Water Pokemon." Ash said, recalling when he had accepted the Elite Four challenge.

"What's weird is that the Elite Four will only use four Pokemon each." Clemont said. That made everyone worried. Were the Elite Four's Pokemon that strong that they felt confident to just use four Pokemon against a challenger's six?

As they walked out of the woods, they heard a helicopter flying overhead. They looked and saw a sleek black helicopter circle once around the village until it landed on the top of the Pokemon Center.

"I wonder what that's about." Bonnie stated as they neared the Pokemon Center. Ash's Pokemon hadn't participated in any battles today, but they wanted to make sure they were at a hundred percent for tomorrow. They stood outside the Pokemon Center and said goodbye to Sawyer who had just realized he had forgotten something back at the lake.

"Make sure you get back in time, Sawyer." Clemont said as Sawyer ran off.

As they entered the Pokemon Center, they were met by someone they didn't expect.

"Professor Sycamore?!" They all exclaimed, recognizing the Professor who was standing next to the main counter.

"Oh hello, I was just about to go looking for you all." Sycamore said as he looked back toward one of the doors.

"Wait, are you waiting for whoever is in that helicopter?" Clemont asked.

"Very observant Clemont, it just so happens that I am. A recent friend of mine is here to help with...a current issue we have. Not to mention my old apprentice is with him." Professor Sycamore explained. As he said that, one of the doors opened and a man with bright orange hair appeared in a black suit lined with orange as well.

"Ah, Lysandre! So good of you to show so soon." Sycamore said as he approached the new man.

"Of course Professor, such an important matter cannot be ignored." Lysandre replied.

"What important matter? Is it about what happened at Victory Road?" Ash asked, walking up to the two men. The man named Lysandre looked at Ash with a confused look, but Sycamore shook his head.

"It's something that shouldn't be talked about in public. I was going to talk to all of you later, but since you're here you might as well tag along. Follow me, we have a secure room in the back." Professor Sycamore said as he went down the far hallway. As the group went towards the back of the Pokemon Center, Lysandre took a glance at Ash.

"If I'm not mistaken, you must be Ash Ketchum. The winner of the Kalos League from yesterday." Lysandre said as he walked next to Ash.

"Uh ha...yes. It wasn't just me though. It's all thanks to my Pokemon as well, and I wouldn't have made it as far as I have without my friends with me." Ash explained. Lysandre's gaze grew cold, but in an instant it was gone.

"Of course." Lysandre plainly said.

"We're here." Sycamore stated as he opened the far door. Inside was a simple table with ten seats around it. It was a plain conference room with no windows and only one door. They all took their seats, with Sycamore and Lysandre sitting on the far end together. Serena sat down next to Ash, but scooted closer. Something about this didn't sit right with her.

"Sycamore, where is Diantha. I thought she would be involved in this. Unless she is watching for the core now." Lysandre asked breaking the silence.

"She's busy with final preparations with the Elite Four challenge, that you Ash will go up against. I'm sorry I didn't say this sooner, but congratulations. I can't wait to see what you do tomorrow." Sycamore said.

"Thank you Professor." Ash said.

"But then where is the core? You said you had it under close observations." Lysandre asked again.

"It's right here in this room." Sycamore stated. Lysandre was clearly surprised by this as he looked around.

"What do you mean?" Lysandre asked.

"Bonnie, would you please bring out Squishy." Sycamore asked Bonnie. Lysandre glanced at Bonnie with a surprised look.

 _ **The little girl has it?!**_

"Wait, Squishy is...a core?" Clemont asked. Sycamore nodded and motion for Bonnie to reveal Squishy. Bonnie was nervous, but she raised her small bag onto the table and opened the small pouch inside revealing Squishy.

 _ **There it is!**_

Upon looking at Lysandre, Squishy immediately dove back into the bag, refusing to come out.

"Sorry mister, Squishy doesn't like strangers much. You'll have to forgive it." Bonnie said as she put her bag back down. Lysandre had a thousands thoughts going through his head. He initially thought that the Z core, this..."Squishy" would be under guard by Diantha and her Elite Four but it was instead in the hands of some little girl.

 _ **This will be easier than I thought.**_

"Oh, it's fine. No worries...Bonnie was it?" Lysandre said. Bonnie nodded, and Lysandre again turned toward Sycamore who spoke again.

"You all know about Team Flare correct?" Sycamore asked the group. They all nodded, remembering the numerous times that they had tried to steal Squishy.

"Well, you see...they have in their possession another core...another Squishy." Sycamore stated.

"Why do you keep calling Squishy a...core Professor?" Ash asked. Sycamore pulled out a paper from his bag and showed the group an old illustration of a green and black serpent-like creature.

"This is the Legendary Pokemon, Zygarde. It hasn't been seen in ages, but legend says that it cannot keep this form for very long. It instead reverts back to its most basic form...a core." Sycamore explained.

"Wait...so Squishy is...the Legendary Pokemon Zygarde?!" Clemont gasped. Sycamore nodded. The group looked at Bonnie, surprised that they were carrying around such a Pokemon with them this whole time.

"We've seen Squishy transform before, but it wasn't that" Serena said as she pointed to the Zygarde drawing.

"Oh?" Sycamore said.

"Yeah. It was in Terminus Cave. Team Flare attacked us and Squishy, and it transformed into some dog form." Clemont explained, "But Team Flare said something about Cells as we saw dozens of Squishy-like Pokemon appear and go into Squishy."

Sycamore nodded and pulled out a picture of Squishy he had taken when he first saw it.

"You see, there are actually two Zygarde cores...two different Squishy. Each can take the form of what you see here." Sycamore said as he pointed to the Zygarde drawing again.

"But only if they need to. You see, these Cells you speak of are what the cores take in to become Zygarde. Sycamore stated.

"Like the cells of our body." Clemont commented, but Lysandre interrupted,

"But there's another legend that states that these two Zygarde cores could combine along with all the Cells to create a single all powerful Pokemon." Lysandre said, Sycamore nodded and looked back at the group.

"That is what we believe Team Flare is after. You see...Team Flare has the other core in their possession, and now..." Sycamore trailed off.

"They're coming for Squishy..." Bonnie said in a whisper. Neither Sycamore or Lysandre answered, but everyone knew the answer.

"So what do we do?" Ash said as he stood up with a clenched fist.

"You...do nothing." Sycamore answered, "You have a Pokemon League to win, remember?"

"That doesn't matter if this Team Flare is after Squishy. We have to stop them, and rescue the other Squishy." Ash said with a determined tone.

"And how do you propose to do that? Do you know where Team Flare is, or where they are keeping the other core?" Lysandre asked coldly. Ash was about to answer, but realized that they had no leads on where Team Flare would be.

"Like I said, Ash you do not need to worry about this. Diantha and now myself only felt that you all needed to be made aware of it. Bonnie...if you would like, I can take Squishy and keep it safe." Sycamore said, Bonnie was thinking about it but Lysandre interrupted.

"No...I believe it would be best to have the core...uh, Squishy stay with Bonnie."

Sycamore looked over at Lysandre with a confused look, but eventually agreed. As the group stayed there in silence a thought crept into Serena's mind.

"Hey Professor...didn't you say your apprentice was with Lysandre?" She asked.

"Ah yes! Lysandre, where is Alain?" Sycamore asked.

"Wait?! Alain is your apprentice?!" Ash gasped.

"Yes, have you met him before?" Sycamore asked as he turned back to Ash.

"Yes, twice actually. He has a Charizard with him that can mega evolve!" Ash explained, his tone getting excited.

"That would be him." Sycamore said with a smile, "So where is he Lysandre?"

"As we were about to leave to come here, we recently recieved some intel that might lead to the whereabouts of Team Flare and of the other core. And so, I entrusted Alain to that task of hunting down the other core in case we should fail here." Lysandre explained. Sycamore was noticably sad at this, but understood. He too would trust Alain with such a task.

It was getting late so Sycamore dismissed Ash and the rest to their rooms. Lysandre stayed behind and talked with Sycamore.

As the group entered their room, everyone had a thousand different questions that none of them could answer.

"Let's just trust Professor Sycamore and let them handle it." Serena said, quieting everyone down. "Ash, you should get some rest"

"You know I can't when Squishy is in danger. That means you are all in danger too. You're in danger Serena." Ash said.

"Ash..." It was all Serena could say as she walked up to Ash.

"But look where we are Ash," Clemont said, "Team Flare would be foolish to try anything with Diantha and her Elite Four here. If anything were to happen we're in good hands."

Ash knew that Clemont was right. He also noticed several other Elite Four members from the other regions in attendance as well. With so many strong trainers in one location, this was the safest place they could be.

"Please Ash, do it for me." Serena had grabbed both of Ash's hands in her own. Serena knew how Ash was feeling about the whole situation. His good nature was telling him to do anything in his power to protect them.

Ash knew that Serena knew his feelings. He could see the fear in her eyes, but the fear was for him, not Squishy. So upon her request, Ash finally agreed.

"Ok Serena..."

Serena brought him in close and kissed him. Clemont looked away, giving them some respect, but Bonnie didn't.

"Really you two? You two already done enough kissing for today." Bonnie said with an evil smirk. Clemont motioned for Bonnie to go to her room while he did as well, leaving Ash and Serena alone.

"Will you promise me something Ash?" Serena asked in a whisper.

"Of course Serena." Ash said without hearing what Serena had to say.

"Don't let this distract you. Focus on your dream of becoming a Pokemon master." Serena said, almost faltering with her words as tears began to form.

"But Serena..." Ash started.

"You're so close Ash, please I can't think of you losing because you're worried about us, about me. Promise me you'll do everything you can to win." Serena said, keeping the tears at bay. She had to be strong for Ash.

They stayed there for a minute. Serena looking at Ash, as he looked down.

"I promise Serena."


	30. Chapter 30: The Elite Four, Part 1

**Chapter 30: The Elite Four, Part 1**

"But why are you here?"

"Because Lysandre wanted me to watch over you and the Zygarde core while he goes and retrieves the other half." Alain said.

Alain was sitting in a chair next to Mairin as she was kneeling down next to her Chespin which was still in some sort of coma thanks its involvement of Squishy's escape.

"So once we have both halves, Chespie will be ok?" Mairin asked.

"Of course." Alain replied. He had no idea actually, but Lysandre had told him that this other Z core was the final key in their Mega Evolution research and for healing Chespin and making Mairin smile again. Lysandre had urged Alain to stay here, in case something would happen to the Z core they had already. Alain trusted Lysandre. With his help, he had become so much stronger as a trainer.

"I have an idea!" Mairin said, suddenly standing up and facing Alain with a determined look. Alain looked at her with a questioned look.

"Let's go and help Lysandre!" Mairin said, which surprised Alain greatly. Marion had practically lived in this room for almost a month.

"And how would you help?" Alain asked, humoring her.

"I don't know, but if we go then maybe Lysandre could get the other half faster, which means Chespie will get better that much faster." Mairin said, her voice getting excited.

"I don't think that's a good idea. Lysandre told me to stay here." Alain said, not giving in.

"Maybe he told you, but not me. If you won't go, then I will." Mairin said as she gathered up her belongings.

"Now hold on a minute. How are you even going to get there? Do you even know where the Pokemon League is?" Alain said as he got up as well.

"Well, I was hoping you would be there with me, but if you really want to stay here as Lysandre told you then..." Mairin said as she began to walk out the door, but Alain stopped her, standing in the doorway.

"No..." Alain said. Mairin looked at Alain with a sad, disappointed look.

...No I won't let you go out there alone." Alain said with a smile.

"Yeah!" Mairin said with glee

* * *

Ash stood before Diantha and her Elite Four in the middle of the arena. The crowd had gathered over an hour beforehand, making sure they had a seat to what was to happen today.

"For the Elite Four challenge, you Ash the challenger will fight against two Elite Four members of your choosing today. If you triumph against the first two, tomorrow you will face off against the last two members, again in the order of your choosing." Diantha explained.

"Should you win against your first opponent, you will be allowed one hour to heal your Pokemon with the supplies you have on hand. You will not be allowed to utilize the Pokemon Center or PokeMart from here on out. Also, the six Pokemon you have pre-registered are the only ones to participate in these battles. The identity of these Pokemon are only known by Mr. Goodshow and yourself. Do you understand?" Diantha asked.

"I do." Ash simply said. This was an endurance test for him and his Pokemon. That morning, he and Clemont shopped at the PokeMart and retrieved all the supplies they would need. Ash had them all in his backpack which he had back in his Trainer's box.

"Then have you chosen your first opponent?" Diantha asked as she moved to the side.

"I thought I would have the most trouble against Dragons, so I'll choose to go up against Drasna at my full strength!" Ash stated for all to hear. Drasna bowed her head and walked to the other side of the arena to get ready. The other three Elite Four members took their leave and went to their seats in the VIP section. Diantha walked up to Ash and turned off her microphone.

"Good luck Ash."

"Uh Diantha, before you go..." Ash said, stopping Diantha.

"Yes?"

"Would you look after my friends?" Ash asked. Diantha looked at Ash confused at what he meant.

"I promised Serena I would focus all I had in winning this...but this whole thing with Squishy and Team Flare..." Ash began to say, but Diantha raised her hand to stop him.

"Of course Ash. I can do that." Diantha said with a smile.

"Thank you."

Diantha left the arena floor as Ash went to his trainers box, now fully prepared to go up against the Kalos Elite Four. As he entered his box, the arena floor lowered much to Ash's surprise.

"What's going on?" Ash asked, looking across to Drasna.

"Oh child, you will be facing against Dragons, and so you will also have to battle against them on a Dragon themed battlefield." She explained as the new arena floor rose from the ground. A purplish haze filled the air as Ash saw the battlefield. It was a very mountainous, but not smooth. The rock was very jagged and solid. It would be hard for any Pokemon to run around freely.

"As the Elite Four member, I will show my Pokemon first. Come forth, Dragalge!" Drasna stated as she called on her first Dragon. Bonnie looked with wonder at Drasna's first Pokemon.

"Is that a dragon? It looks like some giant seaweed to me." Bonnie stated. Serena pulled out her Pokedex and examined the Dragon Pokemon.

"Dragalge, the Poison Dragon Pokemon. Tales are told of ships that wander into seas where Dragalge live, never to return."

Serena, Bonnie, Clemont, and Sawyer looked at the Pokemon with new found respect, and fear. Ash studied Dragalge, it was more or less standing up on what he thought were its feet. Due to its frail appearence Ash devised of a plan to attack with fast and hard physical attacks, and he knew the perfect Pokemon for the job.

"Alright Talonflame, I choose you!" Ash cried out as he released his first Pokemon.

"A fine bird you have their Ash. It looks just as strong as Malva's Talonflame. Let's see if you have the same bond as they do." Drasna said.

"We'll see, Talonflame use Flame Charge!" Ash said. Talonflame engulfed itself in fire as it dove toward Dragalge.

"Dragalge, use Sludge Bomb." Drasna told her Pokemon with a calm tone. Dragalge shot a large purple glob of sludge at Talonflame.

"Dodge it, and go in with Flare Blitz!" Ash told his Pokemon. At the last moment, Talonflame dodged the Sludge Bomb and circled around. The fire around its body grew brighter and hotter as it went in with an all out fire attack. Drasna didn't say anything, and let Talonflame strike Dragalge.

Talonflame slammed into Dragalge with its most powerful fire attack, but the Dragon Pokemon had endured the attack. Not only that but Ash noticed that Talonflame seemed to have taken more damage than it should have.

"Now counter with Thunderbolt." Drasna told her Pokemon. This surpised Ash. Dragalga was a Poison and Dragon type but it also knew an Electric type move. Talonflame was still suffering from its Flare Blitz, unable to dodge the super effective attack. The attack made Talonflame fall from the sky, but it was able to recover in time before crashing into the ground. That was when Ash saw what had happened.

"Talonflame is poisoned..." Ash said to himself, but he was wondering how. Ash's mind went back to when Talonflame had struck Dragalge and how it had just stood there and took the attack. Somehow it had poisoned Talonflame in that moment. Ash knew Talonflame was in no shape to continue battling for much longer.

"Talonflame return" Ash said as he thought of what to do against Dragagle.

It knows Thunderbolt, and it can poison any of my Pokemon with a simple touch...I can't risk sending in Greninja or Charizard to deal with this.

"Pikachu, I'm counting on you buddy." Ash said to his partner who was at his feet.

"Pika!" Pikachu said as it ran onto the battlefield.

"Such an adorable Pikachu, but I suspect it's much more than that." Drasna said.

"Much more. I know Pikachu won't let me down. I trust Pikachu, like all of my Pokemon, they won't let down." Ash said determined. Drasna nodded, she knew Ash was telling the truth. From what she had heard from Diantha and from what she saw during the tournament, she knew Ash had a strong bond with his Pokemon that very few trainers had.

"Alright Pikachu, let's show them our Thunderbolt!" Ash called out. Pikachu jumped into the air and launched a powerful Thunderbolt attack. Dragalge again took the attack, not even flinching from the Thunderbolt.

 _ **Are the Elite Four really this strong?! How can I win against all four of them, when I can't even damage one of their Pokemon?**_

 _ **Don't give up**_

The new voice woke Ash from his thoughts. He thought he just heard Serena talking to him, telling him to not give up.

"Counter with Dragon Pulse." Drasna told her Pokemon.

 _ **No, I can't give up. We've come to far now.**_

"Dodge it Pikachu and use Eletro Ball!" Ash called out. Pikachu used the terrain to its advantage and used the rock to block the Dragon Pulse. After getting clear from the attack it powered up and launched an Electro Ball attack. Again Dragalge took the brunt of the attack, not even trying to dodge.

 _ **It doesn't matter how strong you are. Dragalge can't last forever like that.**_

"Use Surf"

"What?!" Ash said, not believing what he heard. "But there's no water."

No sooner had Ash said that, Dragalge had summoned a tidal wave of water from under the ground and launched it across the battlefield. There was no way Pikachu could dodge the overwhelming attack.

"Use Iron Tail to surf on it Pikachu, just like you did against the Sludge Wave." Ash told Pikachu.

Pikachu began to run away from the wave gaining speed until the wave caught up with it. Using Iron Tail as a makeshift surfboard it begun to ride the wave until it was at the top.

"Now Dragalge" Drasna said. Pikachu looked behind itself and saw Dragalge going up the wave towards it at frightening speed.

"Get away Pikachu, it's trying to poison you!" Ash shouted. Pikachu tried to dodge, but on water Dragalge was the faster Pokemon.

 _ **Pikachu can't run like this for long, Dragalge is going to catch Pikachu before the tidal wave recedes. But I can't attack or Pikachu will get poisoned just by a touch...unless.**_

"Pikachu use Iron Tail on Dragalge!" Ash cried out. Pikachu was hesitant at first, but it trusted its trainer and partner. As Dragalge closed in as the wave weakened, Pikachu turned and swung its Iron Tail at Dragalge. The attack worked, launching Dragalge away from Pikachu.

The water receded, bringing the battlefield back to its rocky state. Ash looked over at Dragalge, it was showing signs of weakness. The strong attacks were finally adding up.

"Very good Ash, using Iron Tail to keep Pikachu from getting poisoned. Dragalge's Poison Point could not pierce Pikachu's Iron Tail." Drasna said, complimenting Ash on his play.

"Thank you Drasna, your Dragalga is full of surprises." Ash responded back. Pikachu had made it back to its side of the battlefield, ready to restart the battle. Dragalga stayed where it was in the middle.

 _ **It can't move fast on land. Drasna must have trained its Defenses up a lot.**_

"Dragalge Sludge Bomb." Drasna said, resuming the battle.

"Dodge it and use Thunderbolt!" Ash said. Dragalge launched a large Sludge Bomb that Pikachu easily dodged.

"Keep on using Sludge Bomb Dragalge." Drasna said. Pikachu dodged another two Sludge bombs before unleashing its Thunderbolt attack. Dragalge endured the attack and launched another Sludge Bomb. Even with the rocky terrain, Pikachu was able to dodge successfully.

"Alright Pikachu, one more time. Thunder-wha?!" Ash began to say.

While Pikachu had dodged the latest of Dragalge's attacks it slipped on the remains of a previous Sludge Bomb. Ash looked around and saw that most of the battlefield was covered in sludge.

 _ **This was her plan all along.**_

"Once more Dragalge." Drasna said, ready to take out Pikachu from the battle. Ash saw Pikachu could not dodge this attack in time.

"Electro Ball!" Ash said, it was his only play left. Pikachu had already charged up electricity and was able to launch its attack to intercept Dragalge's.

"You ok Pikachu?" Ash said. Pikachu had shaken off the excess sludge from its body. It was still fine.

"Alright let's try this again. Thunderbolt!" Ash called out.

"Dragon Pulse." Drasna responded calmly. She knew how this would end.

The two attacks collided, both Pokemon struggling for an advantage. However Dragalge had been weakened considerably from taking all the hits earlier. Soon Pikachu's Thunderbolt won over and Dragalge was hit by the attack. It stood there for a second before falling over, fainted.

"Dragalge is unable to battle, Pikachu is the winner." The referee stated.

"Well done Ash. I can clearly see the special bond you have with your Pokemon. You knew what Pikachu could do and you both trusted one another." Drasna explained.

Ash nodded and looked back at Pikachu. It had used a lot of its power, but one look from it told Ash it wanted to stay in.

"Now for my second Pokemon, Druddigon." Drasna called out. The powerful Dragon stood on the battlefield, roaring as if claiming the arena as its territory.

"Alright Pikachu, use Electro Ball!" Ash said, ready for the second round.

"Dodge it and use Retaliate." Drasna responded. Before Pikachu could launch its Electro Ball, Druddigon had already charged in and launched a powerful strike as it dodged the Electric attack. Pikachu was hit and launched back. Pikachu was able to recover and land on its feet, but the damage had been done. Not allowing Pikachu to be knocked out early, Ash called his Pokemon back.

"Pikachu that's enough, return." Ash said. Pikachu returned to Ash's side. "Hey buddy, don't worry. You did great, but this isn't a good match up for you."

Ash looked over at Druddigon. It was a powerful scaly Dragon that he knew had high defenses and could deal out massive amounts of damage. However, it was weaker on any non-physical attacks and couldn't fly. Ash was going to use that to his advantage.

"C'mon out Noivern!" Ash said, revealing his third Pokemon. Drasna looked at Noivern with a smile.

"Ah splendid, your Noivern. It looks to be a powerful Dragon Pokemon, but I must say, it looks very young." Drasna said, noting Noivern's features.

"That's true. In fact I found Noivern when it was just an egg on my journey around Kalos. But don't underestimate Noivern's strength due to its age. We're still capable of defeating you and your Dragons." Ash said, boosting his and Noivern's confidence. Drasna smiled at the young trainer's fiery personality. Ash made the first move.

"Ok Noivern, fly up and use Boomburst." Ash said. Noivern flew up and fired a powerful sound blast at Druddigon.

"Block it with your wing." Drasna told her Pokemon. Druddigon turned sideways and used its wing like a shield. Due to Druddigon's rock-like skin it was able to take Noivern's Boomburst with little damage.

"Now counter with Dragon Rage." Drasna said. Druddigon pulled back its wing, firing off a green ball of energy. Noivern was able to dodge it, but just barely.

"Let's try something more powerful. Dragon Pulse!" Ash called out. Noivern unleashed its super effective attack.

"Dragon Rage again." Drasna responded. Druddigon launched another green ball of energy to intercept Noivern's attack.

"Now defend." Drasna said as the attacks collided. Sure enough, Noivern's Dragon Pulse won over against Druddigon's Dragon Rage but before Dragon Pulse landed, Druddigon had used both of its wings to block the attack.

"Good job Noivern, one more time. Dragon Pulse!" Ash said. It didn't matter how tough Druddigon was. It wouldn't be able to continue to take super effective Dragon attacks like this for long.

"Draco Meteor and then defend." Drasna said. Druddigon fired off a powerful ball of Dragon energy up into the air and was able to block the Dragon Pulse with its wings. Ash looked up and saw the Draco Meteor reaching higher and higher.

"Noivern use Acrobatics to dodge it!" Ash said right when the Draco Meteor exploded. Dozens of fireballs rained down from the sky. Even with Noivern's great speed, it was unable to dodge all of the meteor's from Druddigon's attack.

Noivern fell and crashed into the ground. The super effective Dragon move must have been devastating to Noivern. Ash was thinking Noivern was done, as did the referee, but Noivern was able to stand up. It looked over at Druddigon and gave a mighty roar. It wasn't over for Noivern just yet.

Ash looked over to Druddigon. While it had fired off a successful Draco Meteor it seemed to not have had enough time to properly defend against Noivern's Dragon Pulse. Ash was finally seeing Druddigon getting tired and damaged. Ash looked back at Noivern, it was ready to continue battling. After nodding back to its trainer, Noivern flew up into the sky once more.

"Alright Noivern let's give it everything we got. Boomburst!" Ash called out.

"It's weakened now, use Dragon Rage" Drasna responded.

Noivern let out a strong sound blast while Druddigon launched its Dragon attack. Thanks to Dragon Rage always being the same power, it had not been affected by Druddigon's weakened attack due to using Draco Meteor. The two attacks collided and cancelled each other out. Ash knew Drasna would counter. He would use that to make sure his Noivern had the opening it needed to.

"Now use a combination move of Boomburst and Acrobatics!" Ash said. There was a murmur all around the crowd as they wondered what was going to happen. Even Drasna was surprised at Ash's move.

Noivern glowed a pale blue and started zooming around the battlefield around Druddigon. Then as it gained speed, it launched a quick Boomburst at Druddigon. The grounded Dragon was able to block it, but as it did Noivern had flown behind and launched another quick Boomburst hitting Druddigon in the back. As Druddigon turned toward where the attack come from, Noivern was already behind it again launching another quick Boomburst.

Noivern kept it up for several other attacks, each hitting Druddigon from behind or from the side. While Noivern was successfully landing attacks, these quicker Boombursts weren't as powerful as they could be. However the continous pressure from Noivern was weakening Druddigon enough.

"Now full power! Dragon Pulse!" Ash called out.

"Draco Meteor." Drasna said calmly. The two attacks collided, but Druddigon was too weak. Not only from the barrage of attacks but from using Draco Meteor earlier. Noivern's Dragon Pulse overpowered the Draco Meteor, destroying it and pushing through to Druddigon. The Dragon pokemon defended with its wings, but the attack was too much and it was finally pushed back. Druddigon landed on its back, fainted.

The crowd applauded. Ash had beaten two of the four Pokemon of Drasna while losing no Pokemon himself. Sure Talonflame was poisoned, Pikachu was weakened as was Noivern, but it was still a 6v2. Drasna took out her third pokeball and released her next Dragon Pokemon. Ash noticed the Pokemon immediately. It was the same one he saw with Drasna outside Victory Road. Her Noivern had appeared but this one was bigger than his by at least a half.

* * *

"Huh, that's weird."

Clemont and Serena looked over to the person to their left who had spoken out.

"What's wierd?" Serena asked. The person looked over to the group.

"Drasna's most powerful Pokemon is Noivern. I remember seeing it in battle last year against the previous winner last year. I would have thought she would keep Noivern for last. Unless she now has an even stronger Pokemon than Noivern." The person explained.

Serena looked over and saw the two Noivern ready for battle. She didn't have time to worry before the battle began.

* * *

"Dragon Pulse!" Ash called out.

"Air Slash" Drasna said.

The two attacks slammed into each other but Drasna's Noivern was fresh and more powerful. The Air Slash defeated the Dragon Pulse, and Ash's Noivern was struck by the attack. Ash's Noivern fell to the ground but landed on its feet. It was tired and bruised, but it still wanted to fight and prove itself against another Noivern.

"Alright Noivern, use Boomburst, everything you got!" Ash called out, knowing this might be Noivern's last attack.

"Counter it with your own Boomburst Noivern." Drasna responded.

Once again the two attacks collided, Ash's Noivern keeping up with Drasna's Noivern. The two attacks were in a stalemate.

"Finish them up, would you please, Noivern?" Drasna asked her Pokemon nicely. At Drasna's request, her Noivern increased it's Boomburst, overpowering Ash's Noivern until the Boomburst slammed into it. Ash's Noivern tried to get up, but being so young it still didn't have the necessary endurance and strength. It fell down, fainted.

"Noivern return." Ash said, recalling his first fainted Pokemon, "You did so great. Take a good rest."

"You were right about your Noivern Ash. It may be young, but it has incredible spirit and I clearly saw the bond between the two of you." Drasna said.

Ash smiled. He looked down at the Pokeball in his hand that held Noivern. It had grown up so much in its journey and he couldn't be more proud of its performances in the last couple of battles it had been in.

Ash took out another Pokeball, ready to resume the battle again.

"Your Noivern is strong and fast, I'll match that with my own strong and fast Pokemon. Let's go Charizard!" Ash called out.

The fiery Pokemon landed and suddenly commotion was heard from around the stadium. Unlike earlier in the tournament, upon Charizard was a harness that had a very familiar stone on the front. Drasna's eyes opened wide, she had seen Ash battle with Charizard several times in the tournament without a Mega stone. She had no idea Ash could mega evolve his Charizard.

Serena looked over at Diantha. She had the same look, as not even she knew Ash had a mega stone for Charizard. Diantha looked over to Serena and the group. After a few seconds of staring at each other, Diantha smiled and nodded.

"Alright Charizard, fly up and use Flamethrower." Ash said.

"Counter with Dragon Pulse." Drasna said.

As the two attacks collided, Drasna made her next move.

"Fly around and use Super Fang." She said calmly, though her voice was getting more excited. Ash saw Noivern zip around and go after Charizard.

"Knock down Noivern with Dragon Claw!" Ash said.

Charizard turned toward Noivern and swung with its pale green claws. Noivern was able to dodge the Dragon Claw and clamped down on one of Charizard's arms. Charizard roared in pain, but swung at Noivern with its other arm and swiped Noivern with a super effective Dragon Claw, but the damage had been dealt. As Noivern flew away, Charizard grabbed it's bitten arm in pain.

"Charizard?! Are you alright?" Ash called out as Charizard descended, but it still stayed in the air. Drasna knew that Charizard was very strong, and with the battle already getting her excited she went in for another attack.

"Now use Air Slash." Drasna said.

"Dodge it and get behind Noivern!" Ash shouted. Though Charizard's arm was hurt, it still soared through the air effortlessly.

"Don't let it behind you Noivern." Drasna told her Pokemon. The two winged Pokemon darted around the sky above the arena floor, each trying to get in an advantageous position to strike. Noivern was strong and powerful. You would expect nothing less from an Elite Four Pokemon, but Charizard had battled among some of the strongest Charizard in the world, and even taken on legendary Pokemon including Articuno. This experience in aerial battles proved the difference as Chairzard finally got into position above Noivern. Ash saw this and immediately took this opportunity.

"Now use Flamethrower!" Ash called out. Drasna told Noivern to dodge it, but Charizard was too close to dodge. Charizard fired a powerful Flamethrower into the back of Noivern, the sheer force pushing Noivern down into the ground. Ash knew that while Charizard's Flamethrower was powerful, as a Dragon type, Noivern was resistant to Fire attacks. He had to go in with a super effective attack before Noivern could recover.

"Now close in with Dragon Claw!" Ash shouted. Drasna knew her Noivern was ok, so called out her own attack.

"Use Dragon Pulse, stop Charizard now." Drasna said with a tone that even Ash noticed was more excited. Out of the smoke from where Noivern landed, a beam of energy came out and zoomed toward Charizard.

"Push through with Dragon Claw!" Ash yelled. Charizard, with one of its arms still injured used the other to drill through Noivern's Dragon Pulse. The momentum from Charizard was enough to push through as the dust settled, revealing Noivern. As Charizard finally came up to Noivern, it landed on its feet right in front of Noivern. As it planted its feet, Charizard fought through the pain and lunged with its other arm and slashed Noivern with its Dragon Claw attack.

Noivern was launched back, landed on its back. Charizard's sheer power was too much for it as it layed there, fainted.

The crowd was shocked at how fast Charizard had beaten Drasna's apparent most powerful Pokemon. Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, and Sawyer weren't shocked at all. They had heard stories from Ash of Charizard's strength and accomplishments and had personally seen Charizard train with Ash over the past several weeks. The thing many people were thinking was if Charizard was this powerful already, how powerful would it be when Ash mega evolved it?

"Oh my, Ash there is no doubt why you were victorious in the Kalos League." Drasna said as she recalled her Noivern. "I haven't felt this excited in a battle in many years."

Drasna revealed her fourth and last pokeball, and threw it. The Pokemon appeared, and it was something Ash was not expecting. Before him was Drasna's last Pokemon, Altaria.

"An Altaria, that's your strongest Pokemon? It must be really strong if...ah!" Ash began to say until he looked closer at Altaria. Around Altaria's neck was a mega stone.

"So Altaria can mega evolve..." Ash said as he realized this battle may not be over just yet. He may still have five Pokemon left, but it was never certain when it involved a mega evolution.

"Oh yes, and I guess since I'm backed into a corner now, I will have to go all out from the start." Drasna said as she lifted one of the bones from her necklace. On the inside of the bone was a key stone. Ash looked on as Drasna touched her key stone and Altaria began to mega evolve. Altaria was engulfed in light, until it finally revealed its mega evolved form.

"Oh wow, it's so pretty!" Bonnie said as she saw Mega Altaria. Even in a situation as tense as an Elite Four challenge Serena had to agree. Clemont looked on with a intense look. There was something about Mega Altaria he couldn't quite remember in an article he once read about it.

"Alright Charizard, be careful." Ash said, Charizard gave a snort. In its early years as a Charizard it would have shrugged off Ash's comment simply due to pride, but Charizard had grown and matured. It had been beaten several times when it underestimated its opponents.

"Now fly up and use Flamethrower." Ash called out. Charizard took to the air again and fired off another powerful Flamethrower. Mega Altaria seemed to float away effortlessly as it dodged Charizard's attack.

"Good job, now use Dragon Pulse." Drasna stated. Mega Altaria fired off a Dragon Pulse more powerful than Noivern's.

"Dodge it quick!" Ash called out. Charizard rolled to the side and narrowly escaped the attack. "Now close in with Dragon Claw!"

Drasna smiled. As Charizard came in, Mega Altaria just stayed where it was. As everyone braced for Charizard's attack, the unexpected happened. As if hitting an impenetrable wall, Charizard was suddenly stopped in its tracks. It had slammed into Mega Altaria but it just floated there, unaffected. Before Ash could figure out what just happened, Drasna made her move.

"Moonblast." Drasna said. At point blank range, Mega Altaria fired a powerful Fairy type attack at Charizard, launching it back across the battlefield, slamming Charizard violently into the ground.

 _ **How did Mega Altaria do that...It's a Dragon type Pokemon and Charizard's attack did nothing.**_

Ash looked over at Charizard as it got up, snarling at Mega Altaria with anger in its eyes.

 _ **That Fairy attack was powerful. I'm surprised Mega Altaria was able to do that, unless...**_

"Mega Altaria is part Fairy type!" Ash exclaimed as he found out what happened.

"A quick learner I see." Drasna said with a smile. "Yes, when Altaria mega evolves, it turns into a Dragon-Fairy type. A powerful combination, wouldn't you say?"

The crowd looked on with awe. They never heard of such a Pokemon that could have such a typing. A Dragon that was immune to Dragon type attacks.

Charizard got up and roared, a torrent of flame erupting from its mouth. It turned towards Ash with a familiar glare yet it was different somehow. It pointed to its mega stone.

 _ **Charizard wants to Mega Evolve...**_

Ash remembered how Charizard didn't want to use its mega evolution during the tournament, but it had agreed to wear it against the Elite Four.

"It seems your Charizard wants to Mega Evolve, but I wouldn't want to do that. It would become part Dragon type." Drasna explained.

Both Ash and Charizard smiled. Professor Sycamore was correct. What Ash and Charizard had achieved in Victory road had never been witnessed before, at least not since Mega Evolution had been rediscovered recently. Drasna noticed this as Ash went for his Key stone on his glove.

"Respond to my heart Charizard, and show everyone the power of our bond!" Ash called out as his Key stone activated. With no trouble the tendrils of light that came out of Ash's Key stone and Charizard's Mega stone connected and Charizard was engulfed in light.

 _ **We did it...**_

The crowd looked on with anticipation as the light began to dim. Ash could only smile as he looked at Drasna's shocked look as she saw Charizard's mega evolved form. Most people had seen what a Mega Charizard looked like. A black dragon with blue flames, but the Mega Charizard that now stood was not what they had seen before. A larger, more spiky version of Charizard was there, with a wingspan and tail that doubled in size. As they looked on in awe, the sun appeared to shine brighter and hotter.

They all looked at Ash in amazement. Wondering how he had kept such a secret during the tournament.

Truth was, Ash probably wouldn't have been able to mega evolve if Diantha hadn't promised him to look after Serena, Bonnie, and Squishy. With his mind free from any distractions, he was able to mega evolve Charizard.

"Interesting..." Drasna said as she gathered herself. "Altaria, use Moonblast!"

"Flamethrower!" Ash responded.

Mega Altaria's Moonblast fired out strong, but Mega Charizard's Flamethrower quickly overpowered it and Mega Altaria was hit with the powered up Flamethrower.

"Now go in with Steel Wing!" Ash told Mega Charizard. Without hesitation, Mega Charizard flew in towards Mega Altaria before it could recover. Mega Charizard's great wingspan grew even greater as it powered up its Steel Wing attack.

"Use Sing!" Drasna said. It would be the only way she could win against this Mega Charizard with such power. Mega Altaria ignored Mega Charizard as it came rushing in and began to sing its lullaby. Mega Charizard winced as it heard the first notes of Mega Altaria's song.

Mega Altaria used this distraction to avoid Mega Charizard and its Steel Wing attack. As Mega Charizard flew past it, Mega Altaria continued to sing its song.

"Oh no, fight it Charizard!" Ash called out, but Mega Charizard had already landed in the center of the battlefield, barely fighting off sleep. Mega Altaria closed in, using its full power to make Mega Charizard sleep.

 _ **There's got to be some way to keep Charizard awake...I don't know if this will work, but it's worth a try!**_

"Charizard, everything you got! BLAST BURN!" Ash cried out.

Mega Charizard's eyes lit up. It would use the energy from its attack to stay awake. Mega Charizard glowed bright as it powered up its attack.

"Altaria, get out of there!" Drasna told her Pokemon.

"NOW!"

Mega Charizard roared as it slammed the ground, causing the entire battlefield to shatter. From the center, where Mega Charizard stood, flames erupted from the shattered ground. Mega Altaria was caught in the blast as it tried to fly away. Ash covered his eyes as the dust, wind and heat overwhelmed him along with Drasna and the first rows of the stadium.

It took over a minute for the dust to settle. As it cleared, the air was still shimmering from the intense heat. The arena floor was jagged as if an explosion happened underground, and in the center it had a shiny gloss look to it.

Near the edge of the battlefield was Mega Altaria, it was laying on the ground covered in black soot from the explosion of Mega Charizard's Blast Burn. With a flash of light, it reverted back to its normal form, fainted.

The crowd stood there in silence for a couple of seconds before they started to cheer. In a stunning battle Ash had won against the first of the Elite Four with only one Pokemon fainted.

Serena cheered estaticly, even though being in the first row had covered her in blackened dust, ruining her hair and clothes. Bonnie was jumping up and down while Clemont and Sawyer couldn't help but laugh for joy.

Ash ran to the center with Pikachu on his shoulder. The ground had cooled down, but it still felt like a he was in a sauna. Mega Charizard was there, breathing heavily as it turned toward Ash. As Ash got to Mega Charizard, it turned back to its normal form and collapsed.

"Charizard!" Ash cried as he knelt down next to Charizard's head. Ash was scared that Charizard was injured by exerting itself too much.

"Zzzzzzzzzzzz"

Ash looked at Charizard with a confused look and then it hit him. Charizard wasn't hurt, at least not to the point of collapsing. Charizard had simply fallen asleep due to Mega Altaria's song. Both Ash and Pikachu looked at each other and laughed.

"Oh, dear me. That sure was a quick battle."

Ash looked up and saw Drasna standing next to him. Ash stood up and faced the Elite Four member.

"You're too much. You and your Pokemon are simply charming!" Drasna said with a smile. She bowed and walked off the battlefield. Ash returned his sleeping Charizard to his pokeball and walked up to the referee who had just dusted himself off.

"Ho...uh well. As you have defeated the first of the Elite four, you will have one hour to return here to face your next opponent. You may use the Trainer's Lounge to attend to your Pokemon. After the hour is up, you will choose another Elite Four member." The referee stated.

Serena watched as Ash left to the Trainer's Lounge to heal his Pokemon. He grabbed his backpack that was full of items that he and Clemont had bought that morning. She wanted to help him, but she was not allowed. Ash had to tend to his Pokemon alone.

Little did Serena know that there were dozens of eyes watching her and her group of friends. Blending into the crowd, the eyes were set on Bonnie and what she had in her small bag.


	31. Chapter 31: The Elite Four, Part 2

**Chapter 31: The Elite Four, Part 2**

"Hey Alain! Look!"

Alain got up from his seat in the Pokemon Center they were staying in. He brought with him a large backpack that he kept with him at all times. Mairin asked about it when they first set out on their journey to the Pokemon League, but Alain said it was better if she didn't know. He went over to Mairin who was looking at something on the T.V

"And there you have it. Ash Ketchum has defeated the first of the Kalos Elite Four in stunning fashion. This may be the first of the Elite Four, but I would be surprised if this young man doesn't make it to the Champion Challenge against Diantha." The reporter on the TV announced.

"That's the boy I talked about when I first met you. The one that saved that Garchomp in Luminose City." Mairin said, pointing at the screen.

Alain gasped at what he saw, though as he thought about it, it didn't surprise him that Ash was there.

"Hmm, interesting..." Alain said with a hint of a smile. Mairin noticed this and looked up at Alain.

"What is it?" Mairin asked.

Alain explained his two encounters with Ash. There he saw how Ash was unlike any trainer he had seen before. He was a trainer that believed in his Pokemon so much, as he saw when he battled with his Pokemon. However, it was his caring and loving nature that Alain noticed above all. Trainers of their caliber usually forgot the basics of raising Pokemon. But Ash never forgot what it meant to be a trainer. While many trainers believe their Pokemon to be partners, Ash made it go one step further. His Pokemon were first and foremost his friends.

"He sounds like you."

"Huh?" Alain said as he snapped out of his own thoughts.

"A trainer that's super strong, is really nice and caring, and Charizard is your best friend right? Well besides me obviously?" Mairin said as she giggled with the last part.

"Heh...yeah..." Alain said, looking away.

 _ **I used to be like that...but not anymore**_

Alain saw himself as he truly was. The past several months working for Lysandre had changed him. His adventure, fighting against dozens of Mega evolved Pokemon, and even against the Hoenn Legendaries. Something in that adventure had changed him, but he couldn't identify when and how it happened. Mairin may have forgiven him for his outburst, but he hadn't forgiven himself. Alain felt that Chespie's condition was his fault. If he hadn't snapped at Mairin, then Chespie would be alright and Mairin wouldn't have been so scared.

 _ **What happened to me?**_

"Are you alright Alain?" Mairin asked. Alain shook his bad thoughts away.

"Yeah, it's nothing. Look we should be headed out soon. If everything goes to plan, we should reach the Pokemon League by tomorrow evening."

* * *

"Ok, everyone ready?" Ash asked to all his Pokemon. Around him was Talonflame, cured of its poisoning. Pikachu and Noivern had recovered from their injuries and Charizard had woken up and was fully charged to go again. They all nodded and were ready for the next challenge. Ash looked up at the clock, showing he had five minutes left.

"Well, no point in just sitting here. Let's go." Ash said as he returned all of his Pokemon to their pokeballs. Pikachu jumped on Ash's shoulder as he put on his backpack. He still had plenty of supplies, but the less he used now would be better in the long run.

"Who do you think Ash will challenge next?" Sawyer asked.

"I don't know, he never told me anything at the PokeMart." Clemont said, "What about you Serena?"

"I don't know either." Serena said as she shook her head. A thought came to her mind that made her smile.

"Huh? What is it Serena?" Bonnie asked, noticing the smile.

"Well, I was just thinking. I wonder if even Ash knows." Serena said.

"Ha...Well it is like Ash to make it up as he goes along." Clemont commented. The group laughed as they continued to think that, that was actually the case.

The group was silenced as the crowd started to stir with commotion. They looked and saw Ash walking out of the tunnel towards the battlefield. He was met by Diantha and the remaining three Elite Four members.

"Are you ready for the second battle of the day?" Diantha asked. Ash took a deep breath and nodded his head.

"Then have you decided who your next opponent will be?" She asked, stepping aside.

Ash looked at the remaining three members. Truth was, his only plan was to battle Drasna first, but beyond that he didn't really know if there was any kind of strategy in this. He crossed his arms as he looked at one member to the next, not knowing which one he should challenge next. It wasn't that he didn't want to face any of them. He wanted to face all of them, but to choose one of them to go first seemed very difficult for him.

"Oh boy...I really think he has no idea Serena." Bonnie said. The group sighed together but still smiled. Even in the biggest stage, Ash was still himself.

"Ok, I've decided." Ash said, "I wish to challenge...you next, Siebold." He stated as he pointed to the blonde man before him.

The man named Siebold bowed his head and walked towards his side of the arena while Diantha and the remaining two members of the Elite Four took their seats in the stands.

As Ash and Siebold took their positions, the arena floor shifted and lowered into the ground. As Ash suspected, he would be battling on Siebold's home court. Sure enough, the new arena floor was a battlefield divided in half. One half, Ash's half, was a simple dirt layout while Siebold's was water.

"Before we start..." Siebold said, "I have a question I must pose to you."

"Huh?" Ash said. He was still getting ready, when Siebold had caught him off guard.

"Do you think Pokemon battling can ever be worthy of being called an art?" Siebold asked plainly.

Ash thought about the question for some time. His initial answer was no, because he was thinking about painting and music and how Pokemon battling was completely different. But then he remembered Clemont saying that while he had tried to use science to help him in Pokemon battles, it never truly helped him out. If Pokemon wasn't an exact science, then how could it not be an art.

"I...guess it is art. I mean, I learn something new from battling every day. If it isn't an art, then what else can it be?" Ash answered. Siebold put his hand on his chin and nodded.

"Indeed...You see, cooking is the type of art that disappears as soon as it is completed. Pokemon battles are the same. Even memories of sweet victory soon fade after the battle ends." Siebold explained. "To devote yourself entirely to such a life, made up of fleeting experiences, that...is truly artful."

Ash thought about what Siebold had said. Siebold had temporary lost Ash when he mentioned food, but Ash understood what Siebold meant. But...there was something wrong with what he said.

"I don't think that's entirely true Siebold." Ash answered back. This made Siebold look at Ash with a glare, wondering what the young boy meant.

"They're not fleeting experiences. They're not fleeting because it's not just me experiencing them. It's my Pokemon...my friends who experience it along with me. And as I continue my journey with my Pokemon we continue to have more experiences together. As long as I have my Pokemon, my friends with me, the battles I have won't be just fleeting experiences or memories. They'll be a part of me, just as I am a part of my Pokemon." Ash explained.

Siebold looked down with a grin. Diantha was not lying when she said this boy was special. What Ash had said was true.

"Usually I tell a challenger it takes much more than just strong Pokemon to make it past me, but it seems you already know that. Are you ready Ash?" Siebold said, revealing a Pokeball in his hand.

"Right! Let's go!" Ash said, eager for the battle to start.

"I'm honored to share to you my signature dishes. Let's begin with the first course! Go, Clawitzer!" Siebold said as he called upon his first Pokemon.

"Alright then, Let's do this Pikachu!" Ash said as he looked down at his partner and friend, revealing to everyone his first Pokemon.

Pikachu ran out onto the battlefield and stood ready, facing Clawitzer who was floating on the surface of the water, awaiting for the battle to begin.

* * *

"Starting with Pikachu, alright." Bonnie exclaimed.

"With such a big advantage, Ash is in good shape." Serena said, already cheering on Ash.

"Hmm...but to choose one of the few Pokemon he has with a type advantage so early." Clemont said under his breath.

* * *

"Alright Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash said, beginning the second Elite Four challenge match.

"Counter with Water Pulse." Siebold said. The two attacks collided and cancelled each other out, but only just. Ash saw that this Clawitzer was much stronger then how it looked. It didn't surprised Ash, this was an Elite Four Pokemon.

"Follow up with Electro Ball!" Ash called out.

"Dragon Pulse." Siebold countered.

"Now use Quick Attack!" Ash said before the previous attacks collided. Pikachu landed and immediately ran towards Clawitzer. It ran out onto the water. To the surprise of everyone, Pikachu was running so fast that it was actually running on the water.

"Dive under." Siebold said just in time to avoid Pikachu's attack, but that was what Ash wanted.

"Now use Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted. With Clawitzer under the surface of the water, it would not be able to intercept Pikachu's attack. Pikachu jumped and fired a thunderbolt into the water where Clawitzer was.

Clawitzer was launched out of the water by the attack. Ash grinned as he knew that attack had hit hard.

"Use Dark Pulse" Siebold said as if nothing happened. Sure enough, in mid-air Clawitzer recovered and launched a powerful Dark type move.

Ash barely had time to call out to Pikachu to dodge the attack, but thanks to Pikachu's speed, the Dark Pulse attack missed its mark.

"Great job Pikachu, now use Iron Tail!" Ash called out. Clawitzer had landed on the ground, away from the water and would be more vulnerable to a physical attack.

"Stop Pikachu with your Water Pulse." Siebold answered.

Clawitzer fired off a powerful water sphere at Pikachu. Before it hit, twisted and sliced the Water Pulse in half using its Iron Tail. Before Clawitzer could fire another Water Pulse, Pikachu slammed into Clawitzer with a second Iron Tail, launching it into the air.

"Dragon Pulse!" Siebold said, again Clawitzer was able to recover quickly firing another attack at Pikachu.

"Dodge it and use Thunderbolt!" Ash cried out. Pikachu ran towards Clawitzer, underneath the Dragon Pulse. Clawitzer tracked Pikachu while stilling firing its Dragon Pulse attack. As Pikachu got closer, it jumped up and fired a Thunderbolt mere feet away from Clawitzer.

Both Pokemon fell towards the ground. Pikachu landed on its feet while Clawitzer splashed into the water. It resurfaced, fainted.

Siebold looked surprised, but then smirked as he he recalled his Clawitzer.

"Well it seems you were ready for my first course, but let's see how you deal with this." Siebold said as he tossed his second Pokeball out. The Pokemon emerged and landed in the water. Before Ash and Pikachu was a Starmie.

"Alright Pikachu, you ready?" Ash asked. Pikachu let out sparks from its cheeks, giving Ash his answer.

"Ok. Use Electro Ball!" Ash said. Pikachu jumped up and launched a powerful Electric attack at Starmie.

"Use Light Screen and then Psychic." Siebold said.

"Wha?!" Ash cried out.

As the Electro ball closed in on Starmie, the water star Pokemon glowed yellow and stopped the attack in mid-air. Before Ash or Pikachu could react, Starmie sent the attack right back at Pikachu. The attack hit Pikachu, but the electric mouse wasn't going down by one of its own attacks.

"Ok Pikachu, use Quick attack!" Ash called out. Out of the small cloud of dust from its own attack, Pikachu zoomed toward Starmie, again running on water. Before Siebold could get Starmie to counter, Pikachu slammed into it.

"Dazzling Gleam, drive it back!" Siebold said. Starmie resurfaced and sent a powerful Fairy attack at Pikachu. Before Pikachu could get back to land, the attack hit Pikachu and sent it skidding across the water before stopping on land. Pikachu got back up, ready to continue battling.

"Keep up the pressure Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash said.

"Spin out of the water and hit Pikachu!" Siebold responded. As Pikachu fired off its Thunderbolt, Starmie spun around at a high velocity, effectively flying through the air like a frisbee. The Thunderbolt hit but thanks to Light Screen, it didn't effect Starmie as much. It continued towards Pikachu, soaring through the air.

"Quick Pikachu, use Iron Tail to counter!" Ash cried out at the last second. Pikachu spun around and swung its tail at Starmie as it closed the distance. The two Pokemon stayed in the air, locked in a stalemate.

"Dazzling Gleam!"

"Electro Ball!"

As Siebold and Ash shouted their commands at the same time, both Starmie and Pikachu fired off their attacks at point blank range. Both Pikachu and Starmie were shot back, with both of them landing on the ground. Pikachu was able to land on its feet, but it was visibly struggling. Starmie landed on the ground and didn't look much better as the Light Screen wore off. Ash took this chance to finish off Siebold's second Pokemon.

"Let's finish this with one more Thunderbolt Pikachu!" Ash yelled. Pikachu jumped into the air and fired a Thunderbolt at Starmie who was still trying to get up.

"I guess there's no escaping it." Siebold said under his breath. "Use Light Screen!"

Right before the Thunderbolt hit, Starmie glowed again with a golden aura. The Thunderbolt sent Starmie flying into the water, fainted.

"Great job Pikachu, only two more Pokemon to go." Ash said, congratulating his partner.

"You certainly are in a hurry." Siebold commented as he took out his third Pokeball. Ash looked up at Siebold with a hint of surprise, but didn't answer.

"I see..." Siebold said under his breath.

* * *

"What do you think Siebold means?" Sawyer asked the rest. Serena and Bonnie shook their heads, not knowing the answer themselves.

"I think I know why." Clemont said. They all looked at him, awaiting his answer.

"Even though Ash can heal his Pokemon in between these Elite Four challenges, and even a night's rest if he wins here, his Pokemon won't be healed all the way like at a Pokemon Center. Even though we gathered a lot of potions, full heals, and berries, Ash's Pokemon can only go so far." Clemont explained.

"What do you mean?" Serena asked.

"Ash wants to finish this quick. Because even if he gets past the Elite Four, his Pokemon will be tired. The quicker he can get past each battle, the stronger his Pokemon will be when facing Diantha." Clemont answered.

* * *

 _ **If I can have Pikachu take care of most of Siebold's Pokemon, then the rest will be able to rest longer. I shouldn't need Pikachu in tomorrow's battles.**_

"Well now you've handled yourself quite well with the appetizers. Let's get on with the main courses, shall we?" Siebold said as he threw out his third Pokeball. This time the Pokemon landed on the ground in front of Pikachu instead of the water.

"A Barbaracle?!" Ash commented. He knew this was a strong physical attacking Pokemon. He looked at Pikachu and noticed that Pikachu had used most of its power in the previous two battles. A small glint of yellow caught Ash's eye, making him look at Barbaracle again.

 _ **Even with Starmie gone, the new Light Screen is still in effect...**_

"Pikachu return." Ash said, realizing Pikachu would be at a disadvantage this time around. The tired Pokemon ran back to Ash's side, accepting a small scratch behind its ear.

"You did great buddy, but now get a good rest."

 _ **Barbaracle is part Rock type. I could use Noivern but with that Light Screen up, Noivern wouldn't be able to deal enough damage. I could use Greninja, but I'll need it at full strength when I face against Malva tomorrow.**_

Ash took out a Pokeball, now certain of what Pokemon he should use.

"Let's go Hawlucha!" Ash called out as he sent out his second Pokemon.

"An interesting choice." Siebold commented on. Already two Pokemon down, he wasn't going to play defensive any more.

"Barbaracle, use Stone Edge!" Siebold called out.

"Jump in the air Hawlucha!" Ash responded. Hawlucha jumped up, out of range from the Stone Edge attack.

"Now dive down and use Flying Press!" Ash said. Siebold wasn't going to wait.

"Intercept it with Razor Shell!" Siebold shouted.

The two Pokemon met in midair. Barbaracle struck Hawlucha, causing the wrestling Pokemon to fall to the ground. Hawlucha picked itself up, not going down in just one hit.

"Alright Hawlucha, Karate Chop!" Ash called out.

"Cross Chop!" Siebold countered.

Again the two Pokemon collided. Hawlucha struck out and stopped Barbaracle's Cross Chop, leaving the two locked together, struggling against each other. Barbaracle was the stronger Pokemon in terms of brute strength. It slowly pushed Hawlucha back, moving itself into a postion where it could strike at Hawlucha. Ash saw this and acted before it was too late.

"Hawlucha, drop below and use High Jump Kick!" Ash called out.

As Barbaracle was towering over Hawlucha, about to win their struggle. Hawlucha broke it off by going underneath Barbaracle's arms, inside of its defenses. Before Barbaracle could react, Hawlucha launched itself upward, landing a powerful kick right in the center of Barbaracle's chest.

Barbaracle was launched several yards up. As Barbaracle began to drop, Hawlucha delivered another kick, launching Barbaracle back toward the ground in a blink of an eye.

"Great job Hawlucha!" Ash praised his Pokemon.

Out of the cloud of dust, Barbaracle was getting up from the ground. Even while getting hit with a super effective attack, it wasn't going down so easily. As it rose from the ground a gold aura appeared around Barbaracle and then shattered, signifying that the Light Screen had faded.

"My Barbaracle won't be taken out that easily." Siebold said. "Now use Stone Edge!"

"Dodge it and use Karate Chop!" Ash called out.

Hawlucha skillfully dodged left and right to avoid the Stone Edge attack until it was right up on Barbaracle. As it swung at Barbaracle, one last pillar shot up and slammed into Hawlucha.

"Now finish it off with Razor Shell!" Siebold shouted. Barbaracle jumped up toward Hawlucha, ready to end this fight. Hawlucha recovered, twisted in the air facing Barbaracle as it came zooming towards it.

"Counter with High Jump Kick!" Ash cried out.

Again the two Pokemon collided, shockwaves were sent out from their power. Again they were in a stalemate, but gravity worked for Hawlucha this time around, as both Pokemon fell towards the ground, still locked in their struggle.

Now on the ground, Hawlucha was at the disadvantage. Barbaracle used it's other arm to grab Hawlucha and in one quick motion, slammed Hawlucha into the ground.

"Now once more, Razor Shell!" Siebold said.

"Hawlucha get out of there!" Ash called out.

Hawlucha still on the ground, looked up and saw Barbaracle ready to deal the final blow. At the last moment it rolled to the side and avoided the Razor Shell attack.  
"Now use a combination of High Jump Kick into a Flying Press!" Ash said without missing a beat.

Before Barbaracle could defend itself, Hawlucha ran up its arm and delivered a powerful kick to Barbaracle's head. Using the kick as a jump, Hawlucha flew into the air until flipping into its signature Flying Press maneuver. Still phased from the kick, Barbaracle was hit by Hawlucha's Flying Press. Hawlucha jumped back, in front of Ash ready for more. Much to Ash's surprise, Barbaracle rose to its feet but as soon as it did, Barbaracle fell to the ground, fainted.

 _ **Unbelievable...this kid and his Pokemon are something else.**_

Siebold was left shocked. He was down to his last Pokemon and all he had done was injure only two of Ash's Pokemon. Siebold quickly regained his composure and smiled while lowering his head.

 _ **Maybe Diantha was right about him...**_

As the crowd looked on, both excited and in awe and what had happened before their eyes, Siebold took out his fourth and final Pokeball.

"And now for the main course! My signature dish, go Blastoise!" Siebold called out as he tossed the Pokeball into the air. Before Ash stood Siebold's most powerful Pokemon. Ash instantly noticed the headband on Blastoise's head.

"A mega stone?!" Ash gasped.

* * *

"Wait...do all the members of the Elite Four have a Pokemon that can Mega Evolve?!" Sawyer said out loud.

"I think so." Clemont responded.

"It won't matter, Ash will defeat them all and then battle against Diantha!" Bonnie cheered. The others nodded and agreed. While this was a shocking revalation, Ash was still winning comfortably for now.

"Ash..." Serena said under her breath. She knew that the Elite Four challenge was an endurance challenge. Though Ash's Pokemon weren't showing it now, going into battle against four of the strongest trainers in Kalos and then the Champion without any proper rest or treatment to recover will soon begin to show.

* * *

"You alright Hawlucha?" Ash asked his Pokemon. Hawlucha turned and raised its arms. It was ready to continue fighting for as long as possible. It knew if this Blastoise could mega evolve, then it wouldn't stand a chance, but it was going to do as much damage as possible.

"Alright then, go in with X-Scissor!" Ash said, beginning the battle.

"Use Hydro Pump" Siebold responded. Blastoise fired both of its cannons toward Hawlucha. With X-Scissor, Hawlucha cut through the Hydro Pump but it was slowing down. As Hawlucha got closer, the Hydro Pump proved too strong, launching Hawlucha to the other side of the battlefield.

"I've not encountered something like this in a long while." Siebold said

 _ **It was several months ago against a trainer much like this boy. Him and his Charizard showed the same fire in their eyes as this boy now.**_

"Finish it off with Skull Bash!" Siebold called out. With incredible speed, Blastoise launched itself across the battlefield toward Hawlucha. Before it could dodge, Hawlucha was struck by Blastoise. It again was launched back, but this time Hawlucha did not get up. It stayed on the ground, fainted.

"You did great Hawlucha. Rest up while we take care of the rest." Ash said as he recalled Hawlucha.

Ash looked on. Siebold's Blastoise looked formidable and it hadn't even mega evolved yet. He had fought against several Blastoise's in the past before. Most notably Gary's and Tierno's. But just from a couple of moves and the fact that it could Mega Evolve, Ash knew this Blastoise was in a league of its own. Ash took out his next pokeball.

"Let's go, Noivern!" Ash said, throwing the pokeball into the air. Noivern appeared, ready to battle again since it last fainted just over an hour ago.

"Blastoise, use Hydro Pump" Siebold said, beginning the round again with a powerful Water attack.

"Alright Noivern, use Acrobatics!" Ash said. Hydro Pump was a powerful move but because of this, Blastoise shouldn't be able to aim it very well. Sure enough, Noivern's speed was enough to dodge the Hydro Pump. Noivern went in and delivered three quick attacks onto Blastoise before retreating back to its side of the battlefield.

"Now use Dragon Pulse" Ash called out.

"Use your own Dragon Pulse" Siebold responded.

 _ **Blastoise knows Dragon Pulse?!**_

Ash watched in awe as Blastoise fired its Dragon Pulse and countered Noivern's own Dragon Pulse.

"Hmm, even being defeated by Drasna's Noivern just an hour ago, it seems your Noivern has recovered nicely. But now let's take it to the next level." Siebold said.

"Blastoise, Mega Evolve!"

 _ **Here we go...**_

Light surrounded Blastoise as it began to mega evolve. Ash stood by, ready to face whatever came next. Mega Blastoise appeared, and Ash saw how little of a change it was. Mega Blastoise had cannons on its arms now, but the big change, with emphasis on the word big, was that the twin cannons on Blastoise's back had now fused into one giant cannon. Ash knew Mega Blastoise's firepower must have increased greatly.

"Now let's try this again, Blastoise, use Dragon Pulse!" Siebold called out.

"Dodge it Noivern!" Ash shouted. He knew Noivern wouldn't stand a chance if it got hit by Mega Blastoise's attack.

The shockwave from Mega Blastoise's Dragon Pulse made Ash take a step back. The attack from the three cannons combined into one giant beam, aimed right at Noivern.

Luckily, Noivern flew under the attack, now flying towards Mega Blastoise just above the ground.

"Now use Boomburst!" Ash called out. As Noivern towards Mega Blastoise, it unleashed a powerful sound burst at the opposing Pokemon. It hit Mega Blastoise, making it cover its ears from the intense sound.

"Blastoise won't be able to use its cannons up close, Noivern!" Ash shouted. Noivern understood, it continued its attack until it slammed into Mega Blastoise. It held on to the Mega Pokemon and continued to use Boomburst.

"That isn't going to work! Blastoise dive into the water!" Siebold shouted at the top of his lungs. Mega Blastoise was able to hear and started to go over to the water.

"Noivern that's enough. Get out before your dragged into the water!" Ash said, but before Noivern could escape, Mega Blastoise had grabbed onto Noivern's legs, preventing its escape.

Mega Blastoise jumped into the water, dragging Noivern down below the surface.

"Noivern!" Ash cried out.

"Now finish this off, use Dragon Pulse!" Siebold called out.

A bright light emerged from the water, and an instant later a powerful beam shot out, launching water everywhere like a gyser. In the middle of the Dragon Pulse attack was Noivern. As the attack subsided, Noivern fell to the ground without any signs of recovery. It landed on the ground, fainted.

"Due its Mega Launcher ability, Mega Blastoise's Dragon Pulse is much stronger than normal." Siebold said.

"You did amazing Noivern. Sorry you had to go through all this today." Ash said as he took out another pokeball.

 _ **I can't use Charizard or Talonflame against Siebold's Blastoise. Pikachu is too tired still. Looks like I have one choice.**_

"Let's go Greninja!" Ash said.

"Ah your Greninja. I have watched it battle these past few days with great intrigue Ash. As a Water Pokemon trainer, I am always glad to see a powerful Water Pokemon, even if I am battling against it." Siebold commented.

"Now Blastoise, use Dragon Pulse!" Siebold said. Again, Mega Blastoise used all three of its cannons and fired off another powerful attack.

"Greninja, dodge it and go in with Aerial Ace!" Ash responded. Greninja leapt out of the way and with great speed, collided with Mega Blastoise with a solid hit.

"Now go in with Cut!" Ash said, keeping up the pressure.

"Counter with Power up Punch!" Siebold said.

Mega Blastoise punched at Greninja who blocked the attack with its own Cut. With its superior strength, Mega Blastoise is able to push Greninja back.

"Now go in with Skull Bash!" Siebold said, making sure Ash and Greninja wouldn't pick up momentum.

"Use Double Team!" Ash responded. Just before Mega Blastoise slammed into Greninja, the water frog Pokemon multiplied into two dozen. Mega Blastoise looked around, but it wasn't fazed.

"Use Hydro Pump and eliminate all of the Greninja!" Siebold called out.

"Use Water Shuriken!" Ash said, not waiting for Mega Blastoise to find the real Greninja. As Mega Blastoise fired on the Greninjas, it felt the real Water Shuriken on its back, slightly to the right. It immediately turned towards the real Greninja and fired, hitting the real one and making all the fake ones disappear. Greninja soon got up, ready for more. It looked back at Ash, and they both knew what to do.

"Let's take it to our limit Greninja!" Ash said as they both raised their arms in unison. Greninja began to glow and soon water engulfed the Pokemon. It stood their as the water moved to its back and formed a giant water shuriken.

"Ah, and there it is." Siebold said. He had never heard of Greninja being able to mega evolve, and so had instantly grew curious of this new evolution.

"Now, use Double Team and Aerial Ace!" Ash called out. Greninja jumped into the air and multiplied into two dozen copies of itself. Again Mega Blastoise use Hydro Pump and attempted to take out all of the Greninja before they hit. As it fired its cannons, the real Greninja was able to get behind Mega Blastoise and delivered a powerful strike to the back.

 _ **Siebold will try to counter with Power up Punch, get back and use Water Shuriken**_

As Ash and Greninja communicated through their connection, Siebold ordered Mega Blastoise to counter with Power up Punch. However, as Mega Blastoise turned to strike Greninja, the water frog Pokemon had already jumped well out of range and launched two water shurikens, hitting Mega Blastoise.

"Go in with a Cut attack!" Ash said, keeping the pressure up.

"Stop it with Dragon Pulse!" Siebold shouted.

Greninja was caught in the Dragon Pulse attack. With no time to dodge, it could only block using its own Cut attack. Though Greninja was able to block the attack, the powered up Dragon Pulse still left a mark on Greninja, and Ash could feel it.

 _ **Don't think we can take another one of those Dragon Pulses buddy**_

 _ **Ninja...**_

 _ **While Dragon Pulse is his most powerful move, it takes time for Blastoise to react to anything after firing. If we can bait another attack...**_

"Let's go Greninja, Aerial Ace!" Ash said, beginning his new strategy.

"Counter with Power up Punch!" Siebold responded.

The two Pokemon engaged in what looked like a dance. Greninja was using its speed and agility to land quick blows to Mega Blastoise while still dodging the Power up Punch attack. After a few blows, Ash sprung his trap.

 _ **Let Blastoise hit you, but block it with Cut to minimize the damage**_

Sure enough, Greninja moved just a little bit slower and was hit by the Power up Punch, but not before blocking most of the damage with its Cut attack. As Greninja flew backwards Siebold took this opportunity to finish the fight.

"Now use Dragon Pulse!"

 _ **NOW!**_

Using Ash's eyesight to guide itself, Greninja jumped high in the air to dodge the oncoming Dragon Pulse.

"Alright Greninja, lets finish this! Mega Shuriken!" Ash shouted.

Greninja reached around and grabbed the large water shuriken on its back. Mega Blastoise was still firing its Dragon Pulse when the Mega Shuriken struck it right in the head. Not letting Mega Blastoise recover Greninja, still in the air, slammed into it with an Aerial Ace attack. The combined might of Mega Shuriken and a follow up Aerial Ace launched Mega Blastoise across the battlefield, landing in the water. It resurfaced, belly up...fainted.

"He did it!" Serena cheered, as the crowd soon joined in applause for the great battle they had just witnessed.

"That's two down, two more to go until Diantha!" Bonnie said jumping up and down.

Back on the battlefield, Siebold returned his Blastoise which had returned to its normal form. He looked up towards Diantha and smiled.

 _ **It seems Diantha was correct in her trust with this boy.**_

Ash had sat down where he stood, both physically and mentally exhausted from the two battles he had just endured. He hadn't felt any sign of fatigue until this moment when his adrenaline stopped pumping. Greninja had returned to Ash's side and Pikachu was up on Ash's shoulder, both cheering alongside their trainer with laughs.

* * *

 _One hour later..._

Ash had met up with his friends outside the main stadium. After a quick embrace and kiss from Serena, they all swarmed him with praise and questions.

"That was truly brilliant how you defeated Siebold's Blastoise." Clemont commented.

"Hearing about your Charizard mega evolving was one thing, but to see it in person. That was amazing Ash!" Sawyer said, his voice very quick and excited.

As they walked back to their hotel, Ash and the group were bombard!ed by dozens of people. Some participated in the tournament while some were complete strangers. But they all praised Ash on his performance today, they were all rooting for him to take on Diantha in the Championship Round.

After thirty minutes of talking with his new fans, Serena nudged Ash slightly in the arm to get his attention. Ash looked into her eyes and took the hint. He turned to his apparent fan club and told everyone that he and his Pokemon needed to rest.

Finally back in their hotel room, Ash slumped down on the couch with Pikachu taking his place behind Ash's head on top of the couch. Clemont began to cook something up for dinner while Bonnie and Sawyer went over the two battles, both still unable to contain their excitement. Serena just sat down next to Ash, took his hand in her own and put her head on his shoulder. It wasn't long until Ash put his head on Serena's and fell asleep from exhaustion.

It took Sawyer and Bonnie a couple of minutes to realize Ash had fallen asleep and quieted down. Serena noticed this and looked at them with questioning eyes. It then came to her that Ash had fallen asleep. Not wanting to wake him, she just smiled and closed her eyes too.

Clemont saw this and decided to slow down on making dinner. Food could wait until Ash was done with his quick nap. But as the sweet smell of food came over Ash, he woke up. He looked over as Clemont was finishing up. As Ash was about to get up he felt Serena's gentle breathing.

He looked down at Serena and smiled. They had been separated for almost the entire day. He wanted to at least be with Serena during the hour break he had between matches, but he was unable to leave.

Serena felt Ash's movement and woke up. She looked around as she too smelled the sweet taste of Clemont's cooking. Serena noticed Ash was no longer resting on her and looked up.

"Good morning sleepy head." She said jokingly. Ash gave a short laugh.

"Ha, you're one to talk." Ash replied with grin.

Serena rose up and gave Ash a kiss. Both turned a slight shade of pink as they realized Clemont, Bonnie, and Sawyer were still there, but they didn't care. Serena layed her head back down on Ash's shoulder while they waited for dinner to be ready.

"I love you Ash."

"I love you Serena"

* * *

"You sure you can distract them with this intel?" A female voice said.

"Them? Yes, but I'm not sure about Diantha. She will want to stay at the Pokemon League." A male voice answered.

"So what do we do with her?" The woman asked.

"I can handle Diantha when the time comes." The man said.

"Ha...and what about this boy, Ash? He's foiled your lieutenants' plans before at Terminus Cave." The woman said with a sarcastic tone.

"Well that's where you come in Malva. You will tire him and his Pokemon out as much as possible." The man replied.

"You mean... _not_ win?" Malva said

"Ha, I don't think you will be able to defeat him, but either way. If this Ash is defeated tomorrow by you or Wikstrom then his Pokemon will be able to heal at the Pokemon Center. Right now, our best course of action is to make sure Ash doesn't lose...yet." The man said with a smile.

"Whatever you say Lysandre"

 **Author's note: So sorry about the long delay between chapters. Been real busy, and to be honest...it's really hard to write down battles and to keep them interesting and believable. But don't worry, the final stretch it here...just 6 more chapters until the conclusion of Ash and Serena's story.**

 **P.S For those wondering on why Ash decided which Pokemon would be on his final team. Wait until the next chapter where I will explain it.**


	32. Chapter 32: The Elite Four, Part 3

**Chapter 32: The Elite Four, Part 3**

Serena woke up early the next morning. There were sounds coming from the common room outside. She rubbed her eyes and got out of bed to see who was up.

She opened the door and saw Ash sitting on the couch with Pikachu, with five pokeballs on the table. Ash immediately looked up, surprised at seeing Serena and then instantly mouthed "sorry" for waking her up. She sat down next to him. Pikachu took this opportunity to jump on her lap.

"What are you doing up so early Ash?" Serena whispered while scratching behind Pikachu's ear. Sure they had an early night, but this was still early. After dinner, the group said goodbye to Sawyer as he left for his hotel room and immediately prepared themselves for bed.

"Just couldn't sleep anymore." Ash said. Serena looked up with worried eyes, but Ash reassured her.

"Don't worry, I must have passed out the minute I hit the bed last night and I just woke up ten minutes ago." Ash said, still keeping his voice down so to not wake Clemont or Bonnie. Serena smiled. At least Ash got some sleep. She looked down at the five pokeballs on the table and noticed something different about them.

"Hey Ash, what's on your pokeballs?" Serena asked, pointing at the small device on top of the center piece of each pokeball.

"Oh, Mr. Goodson put them on when I registered them for the Elite Four challenge. These things make it so Pokemon Centers don't work on them." Ash explained. They were put in place to not compromise the challenge.

Serena recalled the previous two battles to see remember what six pokemon Ash chose. Of course there was Pikachu, then there was Greninja and Charizard. Ash had also used Noivern and Talonflame and then Hawlucha. Before she knew it, she had recalled all six of Ash's Pokemon. It was his original team before the Kalos League started.

"Why did you choose all of them? What about Sceptile, Torterra or even Snorlax?" Serena asked. Ash looked down, thinking of his answer.

"It wasn't an easy decision. I wanted to bring them all, but I could only choose six." Ash said. Serena noticed a sadness in his voice.

"I couldn't ask for better partners, and I can't thank them enough for helping me get this far..." Ash began to explain.

"...but this is their fight." Ash said motioning to the five pokeballs on the table.

"Could I have made a more balanced or stronger team? Probably, but I wanted all of them to get in their chance at the title." Ash said.

"I understand keeping them but why Charizard?" Serena asked.

"Besides Pikachu, Charizard is one of my oldest friends. Charizard was there in the beginning when I found it as just a Charmander beneath a leaf in the rain. If any of my Pokemon deserve a shot at the championship, it's Charizard." Ash said as he picked up the Pokeball containing Charizard.

They sat their in silence, simply enjoying each others company. Light crept through the window as the sun began to rise. As if on schedule with the sun, Ash's stomach rumbled. Both Ash and Serena tried to quiet their giggles.

"I'll make us some breakfast." Serena said.

* * *

 _6 hours later..._

The Pokemon League village was again buzzing with exictement as the 2nd half of the Elite Four challenge was just a mere hour away. The group had just found their seats as the rest of the stadium began to fill.

In the Trainer's Lounge, Ash took his pokeballs and released his Pokemon. He examined all of them. Charizard and Greninja looked fine, even though they both fought and defeated a Mega Evolved Pokemon yesterday. Talonflame had recovered nicely from its poison, and Pikachu was looking great, though Ash suspected Pikachu's power was still not at 100%. Hawlucha was in great shape even though it lost to Mega Blastoise yesterday. Noivern's condition worried Ash. He had made Noivern fight in both battles yesterday and it had fainted in both them. Noivern was standing straight, but Ash could see the fatigue setting in for it.

"Alright, I think for the first match we'll take on Wikstrom and his Steel Type Pokemon." Ash said to his Pokemon.

"So Talonflame and Charizard, you'll be doing most of the work for this match, and hopefully I'll only need you two, but I'll start with you Hawlucha." Ash explained. The two Fire Pokemon looked at each other and gave a determined roar and cry while Hawlucha raised its arms, flexing.

"Pikacha, I'll keep you in reserve just in case. Greninja, I'll try not to use you since I'll need you at full strength against Malva in the next match." Ash said as he went from Pokemon to Pokemon.

"And Noivern. I've already asked a lot from you. I'll try and make sure you don't have to battle today. You need to rest up as best you can." Ash said as he went into his backpack. He took out several berries. He gave them all a couple of berries for energy for the trials ahead. He looked in his backpack and took inventory. He hadn't use half of his supplies so he was doing well so far.

"Ash Ketchum?"

A female official had entered the room.

"It's time." She said, as she motioned Ash to the door leading to the stadium battlefield.

"Alright everyone, let's do our best!" Ash said as he returned them all to their pokeballs as Pikachu jumped on Ash's shoulder.

* * *

"Ah, Professor good to see you."

"Yes. You wanted to talk to me about Alain." Professor Sycamore said as he sat down next to Lysandre. They were high above the battlefield in the VIP section, separated from the rest of the crowd that was waiting for the 2nd half of the Elite Four challenge. They were the only ones in the room, though there were over a dozen seats.

"Yes, I just heard news from him that he was closing in on the presumed whereabouts of Team Flare's hideout." Lysandre explained.

"Really, when was this?" Sycamore asked. He didn't understand why Alain was only talking to Lysandre, and not him.

"Just an hour ago. Once he was finished briefing me on the situation, I immediately called for you." Lysandre explained.

"Could you call him back, I would like to speak with him." Sycamore asked. He said it politely, but inside he was getting frustrated from the situation.

"Sadly, to get closer and remain hidden Alain advised me that he would go radio silent until after the mission was over." Lysandre said shaking his head. Sycamore stood up, facing Lysandre.

"Mission? Alain isn't some kind of secret agent. He may be strong with his Charizard, but he's still young. He shouldn't be doing this alone!" Sycamore said. Lysandre stayed calm and raised his hand, motioning for Sycamore to sit back down.

"I understand your worry for your apprentice, but it was his choice to go alone on this." Lysandre said.

The crowd started to stir, and both Sycamore and Lysandre looked down. Ash had arrived on the battlefield, walking towards three figures in the middle of the arena.

"I have complete faith in Alain. When he contacts me again, I will call for you right away. I promise you." Lysandre said.

"I'll hold you to that." Sycamore said as he sat back down.

"Excuse Lysandre, sir." A voice said behind them. They both looked and a man was at the door.

"What is it?" Lysandre asked.

"Something urgent back at...work" The man said.

"I came here to get away from work...Alright, if you would excuse me Professor, it shouldn't be long." Lysandre said as he got up.

* * *

Back on the battlefield, Ash had chosen Wikstrom as his next opponent. As a battlefield of rock and iron appeared Ash chose Hawlucha as his first Pokemon and Wikstrom had called on his first Pokemon, Probopass.

"You can do it Ash!" Bonnie cried out. The group had found their usual spot in the front row. The battle hadn't even started yet Bonnie was already jumping up and down. Serena was feeling the same way, though she was more composed than the energetic Bonnie. Initially she would get worried when Ash would battle, but now she felt nothing but excitement. Maybe it was Ash's promise to her that no matter what happens, he will choose her over anything.

As the battle began, Serena noticed something off in the corner of her eye. Everyone in the crowd was cheering and moving, but there was a shape that wasn't moving. She turned to look and noticed someone not cheering or even moving. She wasn't sure, but she could have sworn that the person was looking at them, but as she looked the person had turned to look at the battle.

Hawlucha landed a solid blow on Probopass and the crowd roared with excitement and soon Serena turned back toward the battle, though worry crept into the back of her mind.

* * *

"WHAT?!" Lysandre shouted into the phone he had.

"I…I don't know what happened sir, but the Z core is gone." The man on the phone said.

"How did this happen? Where is Alain?!" Lysandre asked, his rage boiling.

"We can't find him sir…" The man said, his voice full of fear. "The little girl is gone as well."

Lysandre hung up the phone, throwing it against the wall. His eyes filled with anger. He was so close to achieving his goal. By the end of the day, he would have been in possession of the two Z cores, but now the first core and Alain were missing.

Lysandre took his own phone out and called Alain.

* * *

"But I need to go to the bathroom!" Mairin shouted. Even being right next to Alain, she had to raise her voice. To get to the Pokemon League faster, Alain and Mairin rode on Charizard, which thanks to the wind was very loud.

"Alright alright, hey Charizard take us down by the road over there." Alain said pointing to the dirt trail. Charizard took them down and landed next to the road.

"You can go over into the woods." Alain said as he took out a berry for Charizard to eat. Even though Mairin was still a child, it was difficult for Charizard to carry two people for a long time without mega evolving.

"Isn't there a Pokemon Center or rest stop nearby?" Mairin asked, hoping slightly that there was one nearby.

"Not for another ten miles or so, but you said you needed to go now, so off you go." Alain said.

"Hmph." Mairin said as she went into the wood line.

As Alain sat down on a rock by the side of the road, his phone began to ring. Without looking he knew who it would be. He took it out.

"I guess Lysandre knows now…" Alain said as he looked over at Charizard which had the same stern look as its trainer.

Alain decided not to answer it. He turned off his phone and placed it into his pocket again. Alain put his backpack on his lap and unzipped it. Inside was a glass container that held the Z core. It looked up at Alain with glaring eyes.

 _ **Lysandre said to guard the Z core and to look after Mairin while he went to the Pokemon League. So technically I haven't disobeyed him.**_

Alain quickly zipped his backpack up again as he heard Mairin coming back. She didn't seem to notice as she came out of the woods.

"Everything fine now?" Alain said as he got up.

"Yep all better!" Mairin said with glee.

"So how far is it now from the Pokemon League?" She asked as they got up on Charizard's back. As Alain settled in behind Mairin he looked up at the sky.

"We're about two hours if Charizard flies us the rest of the way, but we're going to walk the rest of the way and be there by sunset." Alain said.

* * *

Lysandre was furious. Alain was missing, most likely with the Z core but why? He was sure Alain didn't know his true intentions and even if he did then he wouldn't have just taken the Z core. According to his scientists, there was no damage or destruction to the facility.

He looked over at his assistant that had given him the news. He was picking up the parts of the shattered phone.

"Give word that everyone that isn't at the Pokemon League is to search for Alain." Lysandre said coldly as he walked back to the room. At the door Lysandre took a deep breath and opened it.

"Sorry about that Professor, how is the young Ash doing?" He asked as he took his seat.

"Quite well. His Hawlucha was able to beat Wikstrom's Probopass just now. It amazes me how he battles. Very unpredictable but always effective. It reminds me of Alain to be honest." Sycamore remarked. Commenting on Alain made Lysandre angrier, but he kept it inside.

"Would you think Ash could defeat Alain?" Lysandre said. Sycamore thought about it for a second.

"It would be an interesting match up to say the least. Both Ash and Alain have surprised me multiple times by their talent." Sycamore responded.

* * *

On the battlefield, Hawlucha was showing off its signature poses as it had just taken out Wikstrom's Probopass.

"Great job Hawlucha, I knew you could do it." Ash said, praising his Pokemon.

"An early strike is important, but it's not the finishing blow, go Klefki!" Wikstrom said as he called on his second Pokemon.

"A Klefki?" Ash said puzzled. Ash saw Wikstrom as some medieval knight in armor. It was strange to see him with a Pokemon like this. Ash focused again. Wikstrom was a member of the Elite Four so obviously this Klefki was more than meets the eye.

"Alright Hawlucha, get ready." Ash said, keeping Hawlucha in. The Pokemon stood ready, not underestimating the small Pokemon.

"Let's go in with Hi Jump Kick!" Ash said, resuming the battle.

Hawlucha ran up and jumped high into the air. Its leg glowed white as it rushed down toward Klefki. Wikstrom had stayed silent this whole time, waiting for the perfect time to counter attack.

"Now Dazzling Gleam" Wikstrom said.

The attacked stopped Hawlucha in mid air, and launched it back. It struggled to get up, but it was still ready for more.

"Good, now use Torment." Wikstrom said, not waiting for Hawlucha. Klefki sent out a dark wave at Hawlucha but nothing happened. Ash looked surprised, wondering what Wikstrom did. Hawlucha looked over itself, also wondering what happened. As nothing happened, Ash went back on the offensive.

"Alright, go in with Karate Chop!" Ash said. Hawlucha nodded and sprinted towards Klefki, its arm glowing white. As Hawlucha swung at the keychain pokemon, Klefki effortlessly dodged the attack, but it stayed well within range of another follow up attack.

"One more time, Karate Chop!" Ash said. Hawlucha again jumped toward Klefki, but as Hawlucha swung, its arm was stopped by a dark aura that surrounded it. Hawlucha was stopped in its tracks, now open to attack.

"What's wrong Hawlucha?!" Ash cried out, but it was too late.

"Dazzling Gleam!" Wikstrom called out. As Hawlucha was powerless to move, Klefki fired another strong Fairy attack. Launching Hawlucha back once again, but this time Hawlucha stayed down, fainted.

* * *

"I don't understand Clemont, what happened with Hawlucha?" Bonnie asked. Even Clemont was wondering what happened.

"It must be from that previous attack Wikstrom called out." Clemont said, trying to figure it out.

"Torment is a move that stops Pokemon from using an attack twice in a row." Sawyer explained. The group looked at the green haired boy. He was reading from his notebook that he always kept with him.

"I ran into a Trainer that used that move against me once and like Ash, I was completely caught off guard." Sawyer said.

"Ah I see now. Hawlucha was stopped when it used Karate Chop twice in a row." Clemont said, nodding his head.

"You think Ash will be ok?" Bonnie asked.

"Of course. Once Ash figures out how it works, it's an easy move to work around." Sawyer said.

Back on the battlefield Ash had returned Hawlucha and called on Talonflame as his second Pokemon. Serena noticed Bonnie was fidgeting around, but not from excitement.

"Bonnie?" She said, getting the young girl's attention.

"You need to use the restroom?" Serena asked.

"Yeah, but I can hold it! I got to be strong for Ash!" Bonnie said, not wanting to miss a single moment.

"C'mon Bonnie, if you don't leave now, you'll miss the end of the battle." Clemont explained.

"Oh alright." Bonnie said, finally giving up.

"Here I'll go with you." Clemont said, but Serena shook her head.

"No it's alright, I need to go as well." Serena said. The truth was she didn't need to go, nor did she plan to go with Bonnie. It wasn't until Clemont offered to go with her that she remembered the potential danger they were in because of Team Flare. It was the worry in the back of her mind about that strange person that made her go with Bonnie.

As they left, Serena noticed Diantha glance in their direction. Diantha noticed Bonnie's different stride and figured out what was happening. She just smiled and continued to watch the battle as it began again. However, once the two girls went up the stands she motioned toward a person next to her. They rose to their feet and discreetly followed the two girls.

Serena looked back down to watch Ash one more time before going through the tunnel, but something again was amiss. There was an empty seat where the strange person was earlier. Serena couldn't tell if that was the excact seat of where the person was, but Serena knew something was wrong.

"Serena?" Bonnie said on the other side of the tunnel.

"Sorry! Coming!" Serena said as she rushed over to Bonnie. As she walked with Bonnie, she held onto her hand which Bonnie thought was weird but she didn't speak up about it.

* * *

"But why are we walking now?" Mairin said after a couple of minutes of walking.

"Because Charizard is tired now." Alain said.

"Charizard can't be tired. It fought against Groudon, and Kyorge but now it's tired?" Mairin said, not believing Alain.

"Well it's true, and Charizard isn't a tool. We shouldn't ride Charizard simply because it's easier for us." Alain replied.

Alain was telling the truth but also lying. Mairin was right, Charizard wasn't tired but Alain rarely rode on Charizard because he felt it was a sign of dominance over his Charizard. The reason he and Mairin flew on Charizard was because they needed to get away from Lysandre Labs, though Alain never told Mairin the reason behind it.

But now, the scientists had told Lysandre about the missing Z-core and Lysandre would be looking for them so they would walk the rest of the way to avoid easy detection.

 _ **Lysandre is going to be mad, but I hope he understands. I couldn't let Mairin go by herself, and the scientists would have never let me take this Z-Core.**_

"Hey look, it's the Pokemon Center. Time for lunch!" Mairin said as she ran towards the roadside Pokemon Center.

* * *

"All done! Let's go!" Bonnie said rushing out of the restroom. Serena again grabbed her hand and walked back to their seats.

"Wait, I don't remember you going Serena." Bonnie pointed out.

"Heh, I guess I don't need to go yet." Serena said jokingly.

As the two girls returned to their seats, the battle had continued without them. Ash's Talonflame was still out, but now Wikstrom's Pokemon had changed.

"Oooh! What Pokemon is that?!" Bonnie asked as they returned to their seats.

"It's Aegislash." Sawyer said. "The final evolution of my Doublade."

"Wow, it looks so cool!" Bonnie exclaimed, jumping up and down once again.

"Yeah. Talonflame was able to defeat Klefki, but Aegislash is proving to be much tougher." Clemont explained.

"But Ash isn't going to lose!" Serena said. The group agreed and watched the battle continue. Serena after awhile looked over to where the strange person had been earlier.

There was somebody there, but they were different and Serena could have sworn they had been looking over in their direction.

* * *

"Now use Flame Charge!" Ash called out.

"Kings Shield!" Wikstrom responded. For the third time in a row, Talonflame's attack had been stopped by Aegislash's defenses.

"Now counter with Sacred Sword!" Wikstrom said before Talonflame could recover. Aegislash quickly unsheathed its sword, now glowing blue and swung at Talonflame. The attack hit and sent Talonflame crashing into the ground.

"Talonflame!" Ash cried out. The fire bird pokemon was getting tired but it wasn't finished yet. It gave a cry and flew back into the air.

 _ **Alright, my plan needs to have Talonflame get faster. We need to keep pushing.**_

"Keep it going Talonflame, Flame Charge!" Ash said.

"Why does he continue this tactic?" Wikstrom asked himself. "Use King's Shield again!"

Aegislash returned behind its shield and again put up its barrier. Talonflame again struck the impentrable barrier.

"Now use Iron head!" Wikstrom called out. In one fluid movement, Aegislash unsheathed its sword again and this time, stabbed toward Talonflame.

"Dodge it and use Flare Blitz!" Ash called out. Thanks to Talonflame's increased speed, it was able to spin around the Iron Head attack and strike Aegislash from behind.

 ** _Alright here we go. I hope we're fast enough..._**

"One more time, with everything you got. Flare Blitz!" Ash called out.

"Kings Shield!" Wikstrom said. Aegislash was able to recover in time, and activated its barrier.

"Cut left and go around!" Ash shouted.

"What?!" Wikstrom said in shock. Aegislash's Kings Shield barrier was long and tall, he never thought of anyone trying to get around it since it would take too long.

Talonflame turned left and went to the edge of the Kings Shield. It expertly did a 180 turn at the edge and zoomed toward the vunerable Aegislash who couldn't move as long as the Shield was up. Wikstrom knew Aegislash wouldn't be able to counter in time, and so did nothing but keep Aegislash in its defensive form.

Talonflame slammed into Aegislash, a powerful shockwave of fire erupting from the collision. Aegislash fell to the ground, along with Talonflame. The sheer power of Flare Blitz had its draw backs, and two back to back hits with that attack had drained Talonflame's energy. It crashed into the ground, fainted.

"Talonflame is unable to battle!" The referee stated. He also looked over at Aegislash, it hadn't moved as well. "Aegislash is also unable to battle!"

The crowd went wild with the remarkable play from Ash. Even though Ash's pokemon had fainted, they knew from previous years that Wikstrom's Aegislash was known for outlasting numerous Pokemon due to it's near invinvible defenses yet Ash had defeated it with just one Pokemon.

"You did great Talonflame. Get a good rest for the rest of the day." Ash said as he recalled the fire bird to its Pokeball.

* * *

"That was quite impressive." Sycamore stated.

"Hmm, yes. I haven't seen a trainer take on the Elite Four like this." Lysandre said.

Lysandre had his mind occupied due to Alain, but the other part of his plan was making sure Ash's pokemon were tired out and weak. He would focus on Alain after this. Right now, he had to focus on getting the Z-core from this Bonnie girl.

* * *

Wikstrom held in his hand, his final Pokemon. He knew he had been defeated, but he was going to be defeated as a warrior. There was no giving up for a warrior, especially an Elite Four member. He called out his last Pokemon, revealing a Scizor that, not surprisingly, had a mega stone as well.

"So, Scizor can Mega Evolve too." Ash said, he grabbed his next Pokeball.

"I'm sorry Wikstrom, but I plan on ending it with my next Pokemon." Ash called out. He threw his Pokeball, revealing his Charizard which also had its harness that held its mega stone.

Wikstrom mega evolved his Scizor in answer, not ready to go down just yet. Ash didn't want to take any chances, half of his team had been fainted at least once and he still had another battle after this. Ash touched the key stone that was embedded into his right glove.

He had asked Serena last night to make him a specialized glove like the one that Korrina had. It was a simple enough task, and Serena was able to finished up before she went to bed. She gave it to Ash at breakfast, and in return Ash gave her a sweet kiss on the cheek. Serena still hadn't gotten used to Ash's affection and was visibly red to Bonnie and even Clemont.

Charizard mega evolved and immediately the temperature raised as the sun seemed to shine brighter. Wikstrom had seen this new form of Charizard in battle a couple of times over the last couple of days. He knew the strength and power behind it's fire attacks. Still, as a knight and a member of the Elite Four he had a duty to uphold.

The two trainers and Pokemon got ready...

"Night Slash!"

"Flamethrower!"

* * *

"Is everything ready?" A man asked as he looked at a computer monitor.

"Yes, we're set up outside the village." A woman's voice responded.

"And what about you?" The man asked as he looked at the next monitor.

"We're in the room next door to theirs now." Another woman's voice answered.

"Good, now we await Lysandre's command." The man said with a grin on his face.

 ** _Author's note: I'M SO SORRY for the long delay. I was in the middle of moving to my new place so was super busy with juggling that with work. I should be updating the rest of the story on a more frequent schedule (Should be a chapter every other week). And for those wondering, I have about 5-6 chapters left until the finale._**


	33. Chapter 33: The Elite Four, Part 4

**Chapter 33: The Elite Four, Part 4**

Ash was sitting in the Trainer's Lounge after his victory over Wikstrom. He had healed his Talonflame and Hawlucha with the few remaining potions he had and fed Charizard with a Sitrus Berry. Ash looked into the bag and saw that he only had two more hyper potions, and about a dozen berries left. If everything went well in the last battle with Malva, then his Pokemon should be in good shape against the champion.

Ash was feeling the fatigue as well. He had been battling for over a week straight now with only one day of rest before the Elite Four challenge. Clemont had kept him well fed, Bonnie had kept his spirits up, and even Sawyer had been supportive as well.

Ash thought of Serena, and instantly felt the weight on his shoulders go away. Just the thought of her made him calm, yet excited at the same time. He remembered the kiss they had two days ago in the forest outside the village. Even though Ash was dense he knew the concept of marriage but never thought about himself being married before. As they were in that moment, with Serena over him with her hair still wet, a subconscious thought came to him.

 _ **I wonder if I'll be married to Serena...**_

A door opened and Ash shot right up, half thinking it would be Serena.

"Oh sorry, didn't mean to frighten you Mr. Ketchum. Are you ready?" The female official said. Ash looked at the clock and noticed he must have been daydreaming. He took a deep breath and answered.

"Yes"

* * *

"You see that mountain Mairin?" Alain said, pointing at the mountain that was before them. Mairin was surprised that hadn't seen it earlier but the tree line had hidden it from them. They had reached the edge of the forest and ahead of them was a long straight road over a wide open plain. The road led toward the small mountain range in which Alain had pointed to.

"Yeah, what about it?" Mairin responded. She brushed off a twig that was stuck in her hat.

"That left most peak is where the Pokemon League is. We'll be able to reach the base of the mountains in an hour or so." Alain said as they continued down the road.

"Then we have to climb all the way up?" Mairin sighed.

"No," Alain answered. "The pathway up to the Pokemon League is closed due to several caves collapsing. There should be a helicopter service at the base of the mountain."

That lightened Mairin's mood as the two walked down the lone road.

* * *

Ash walked out onto the arena floor, again greeted by thunderous applause. He glanced over at where Serena and the rest of the gang were. He met eyes with Serena and his mind went back to that thought, a moment of serenity which Ash reluctantly tossed aside. He had to focus.

Ash then turned to the two individuals waiting for him in the center of the battlefield.

 _ **Funny how they're here. It's not like I have another choice on who I'm fighting**_

"Hello Ash, I will be your final Elite Four opponent." Malva said as she extended her hand. Ash accepted it. "You may have defeated the other three handily, but I don't plan to lose."

"I wouldn't want it any other way." Ash responded. Malva gave a smile that was different than before.

"You know, you remind me of someone." Malva said, but she didn't continue. She turned around and went to her side of the battlefield, leaving Ash with Diantha.

"Is everything alright Ash?" Diantha asked.

"Uh...yeah everything is fine." Ash responded. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh nothing, just noticed you glancing up at your friends, one in particular I suspect." Diantha said with a smile.

"Ah...you know?" Ash asked, even though Diantha had practically answered that question. "What about Team Flare? Any word from Alain?" Diantha shook her head.

"Nothing right now, but everything is fine here. You just focus on your battles here. You promised Serena, correct?" Diantha said.

"Of course, thank you Diantha." Ash said as he took his leave and went to his side of the arena.

* * *

"What do you think they were talking about?" Sawyer asked.

"I'm not sure, but Diantha was smiling." Bonnie said.

 _ **Ash...please don't worry about us.**_

Serena hadn't said anything, but she knew what Ash had asked Diantha about Team Flare. She knew he promised to not worry, but she knew his caring nature wouldn't allow him to for long. This made Serena worry more and instinctively looked toward the area where the strange person was.

There was nobody there now, but Serena still had a feeling that someone was watching them.

"Serena?" Bonnie said as she pulled Serena's arm. "What are you looking at?"

"Oh nothing, thought I saw someone I knew." Serena said, she hated lying to Bonnie but she didn't want to scare the little girl.

"Look, they're about to start!" Sawyer said as he saw Malva grab her first Pokeball.

* * *

"Have you heard anything Seibold?" Diantha asked as she sat down in her seat next to Seibold.

The other two members were upstairs in the VIP section as directed by Diantha. If Team Flare were here, she didn't want them to see that the Elite Four and Champion were in one location.

"Nothing, our security have reported no suspicious activity in or around the village." Siebold answered.

"Ok...tell Drasna to help with the surveillance team while you and Wikstrom keep tabs on the security team on the kids." Diantha said.

"Why not take the Pokemon from the little girl? Take them out of harms way?" Siebold asked. Diantha shook her head.

"Her name is Bonnie, and she has formed a special attachment to Squishy. Plus if Professor Sycamore's theory is correct, Squishy knows that Team Flare has captured its other half. It wouldn't trust us as well as Bonnie." Diantha explained.

Siebold nodded, accepting Diantha's decision. He got up and exited the stands.

In the far corner of the stands, a woman was spying on Siebold leaving.

"He's on his way."

* * *

Like every Elite Four member before her, Malva had her battlefield raised from underground. It was plain rocky terrain but there were fire pits all around.

"Alright Ash, I hope you're ready!" Malva said across the battlefield as she tossed her first Pokeball out. Ash recognized the Pokemon as a Pyroar. He remembered encountering a pride of Pyroar a while back and the little Litleo that proved it could be independent.

"Ok Pikachu, I'm going to start off with you." Ash said to his partner at his feet. Pikachu had recovered well from its battles from yesterday. It ran onto the battlefield, keeping away from the fire pits. The ground was warm but not blistering, but Pikachu didn't want to see how hot the fire was.

"Your move Ash!" Malva stated. Ash nodded and made his move.

Use Quick Attack!" Ash said, starting the final Elite Four battle off.

"Counter with Hyper Voice!" Malva said. As Pikachu darted across the battlefield, zigzagging around the fire pits, Pyroar unleashed a loud and powerful roar that stopped Pikachu in its tracks.

"Now use Flamethrower!" Malva commanded. Pyroar stopped its sound attack and barely missing a beat fired off a powerful torrent of flame at Pikachu who was still covering its ears from the Hyper Voice attack.

"Quick Pikachu, dodge to the left!" Ash called out. The half second it took Pyroar to change its attack was all Pikachu needed. At the last second Pikachu jumped to the left, barely dodging the Flamethrower attack.

"Good job Pikachu, now use Thunderbolt!" Ash said not wanting to give Malva the control of the match so easily.

"Flamethrower." Malva said.

The two attacks collided, cancelling each other out. Pikachu and Pyroar reset on their respected sides of the battlefield.

"Alright Pikachu, use Iron Tail!" Ash called out.

"Use Noble Roar!" Malva countered. Pyroar again let out a powerful roar, but this was different. As it hit Pikachu, it affected Pikachu differently than Hyper Voice. A pale red light surrounded Pikachu and then disappeared. Pikachu struck Pyroar with the Iron Tail attack but Pyroar stood its ground seemingly unharmed.

 _ **What kind of attack was that?**_

Ash was thinking what had happened when Malva kept up the pressure.

"Now use Flamethrower!"

"Dodge it and use Electro Ball." Ash said. Luckily Pikachu's speed was still on point and it was able to jump over the Flamethrower and launch an Electro Ball that hit its mark. Pyroar stood its ground again, but Ash knew he was doing some damage.

"Now go in with Quick attack!" Ash shouted.

"Hyper Voice!" Malva countered.

Again Pyroar was able to stop Pikachu before it could attack. Pyroar continued its attack, keeping Pikachu pinned down.

"Pikachu! Use Electro Ball!" Ash yelled. Though Pikachu could not hear Ash, it knew what its Trainer and friend would do. While stilling holding its ears down to protect itself from the Hyper Voice attack, it charged up its own attack on its tail. Once charged, Pikachu fired the Electro Ball at Pyroar, landing a solid hit on the lioness Pokemon.

"Great job Pikachu, now Thunderbolt!" Ash called as Pyroar was covered with smoke from the previous attack. Pikachu then jumped up and fired another strong electric attack. As Pikachu landed, Ash saw Pyroar still standing, but struggling to stay up.

"Now finish this up with Iron Tail!" Ash said.

"Pyroar use Flamethrower!" Malva said. Pyroar still shaking looked up at the Pikachu that was rushing towards it with its glowing tail. Pyroar mustered the rest of its strength and fired a Flamethrower right as Pikachu struck. With a cry Pikachu was launched back, but was able to land on its feet. The crowd looked back toward Pyroar who was now on the ground, fainted.

* * *

"Pikachu did it!" Bonnie shouted, jumping up and down as usual.

"Pikachu looks great, and Ash is still battling amazingly!" Sawyer commented.

"That's right, the bond and trust between Ash and Pikachu is truly remarkable," Clemont said nodding his head. He looked over at Serena.

"Huh? Serena what's wrong?" He asked, noticing Serena wasn't as lively as the rest of them. Clemont's question snapped Serena out of her thoughts.

"Oh nothing, just worried. Pikachu must be really tired now." Serena said.

"Yeah, I know what you mean, but Ash and his Pokemon will do everything they can to push through." Clemont said.

 _ **I got to grab Clemont after the match and tell him what I saw earlier...**_

Before they could comment more about the subject, Malva had quickly called out her second Pokemon and started attacking. A dark colored Pokemon that looks like a chandelier.

"Oh wow! It's a Chandelure!" Sawyer said, taking out his notebook and ready to write down more notes.

* * *

"Use Shadow Ball!" Malva said, resuming the battle right away.

"Dodge it Pikachu!" Ash countered. Pikachu was able to dodge, but was noticeably slower than before. The fatigue of battle was getting to the small electric Pokemon.

"Great, now use Electro ball!" Ash said as Pikachu closed in on the left side.

"Shadow ball!" Malva said, this time countering. The two attacks collided, but this time Malva took the initiative.

"Now use Confuse Ray!" Malva commanded. Chandelure locked onto Pikachu as waves of ghostly energy hit the electric Pokemon.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried out as Pikachu became confused and disoriented.

"Now use Flamethrower!" Malva said. Chandelure fired off a powerful Flamethrower. Ash shouted for Pikachu to dodge, but Pikachu ran towards the Flamethrower, hitting it head on. Pikachu was launched back, landing on its back still dazed and confused.

"Pikachu, return!" Ash called out as he went out onto the battlefield. "It's alright buddy, just take a rest now."

Ash turned back towards Malva as Pikachu sat down next to his feet.

"Alright, let's do this! Greninja!" Ash said as he threw out his second Pokemon. The water ninja Pokemon stood tall with its arms crossed staring down Chandelure. Malva again went on the offensive, but Ash was ready to fight too.

"Shadow ball!"

"Water Shuriken!"

* * *

"Look, Victory Road!" Mairin said pointing at a cave entrance at the base of the mountain. It was still far away, but the tunnel was massive. At the entrance there was a makeshift building, several vehicles around and a pair of helicopters.

"Looks like we're almost there." Alain said. He was staying aware of his surroundings, keeping his eyes out for anyone from Lysandre's company.

It was another ten minutes of walking until they made it to the entrance. Once there, a man met them in the road.

"Are you going through towards Snowbelle, or up to the Pokemon League?" The man asked.

"To the Pokemon League!" Mairin shouted. Alain shook his head.

"Yes, to the Pokemon League please. I heard that Victory Road collapsed and you're giving people rides up to the League?" Alain said.

"Yes, though you're very late. The finalist is up against the final Elite Four member now." The man said as he motioned Alain and Mairin towards the nearest helicopter.

"Yeah, but we had...complications." Alain said. The man nodded but didn't ask any further questions. Once at the helicopter, another man with a strange suit and helmet came up to them.

"Jake here will be your pilot. The ride will only be about fifteen minutes and you'll land on the roof of the local Pokemon Center." The man said as he took his leave and walked away.

Alain took his time as he looked up toward the mountain top and the Pokemon League. Dark clouds could be seen in the distance.

 _ **A storm is coming...**_

"Alain! Let's go!" Mairin said from inside the helicopter.

* * *

"Go Houndoom!" Malva said, sending out her last Pokemon. Greninja made short work of Chandelure and once it transformed into its mysterious form and caught up with Malva's Talonflame, ended the fight quickly with a powerful Water Shuriken. Now Malva was down to her last Pokemon and like the other three Elite Four members, her last Pokemon had a Mega stone; signifying that it could Mega Evolve. Sure enough, Malva wasted no time and Mega evolved her Houndoom.

 _ **Just one more Pokemon Greninja and we get to challenge Diantha...**_

 _ **Greninja!**_

 _ **Let's give it everything we got!**_

* * *

"Lysandre!"

Lysandre and Professor Sycamore stood up and faced the person who busted into the room. Sycamore recognized it was the same man that told Lysandre about some urgent news from earlier.

"We have word from Alain! He's secured the Z-Core but is on the run from Team Flare now!" The man said, as he regained his breath.

"We have to help him!" Sycamore said.

"Yes we must." Lysandre answered.

"Wait there's more," The man continued. "Alain said that Team Flare is here...at the Pokemon League and are ready to strike from the village outskirts at any moment!" The man explained.

"What?!" Sycamore shouted.

"Professor!" Lysandre said as he turned to Sycamore. "Go down and tell Diantha of this news, I'll go and warn the other members of the Elite Four."

"Right!" Professor Sycamore said as both men ran out the door. After Sycamore ran out of sight, Lysandre stopped running and grinned. His plan was now in motion.

* * *

"Now go in with Aerial Ace!" Ash called out. As quick as ever, Greninja landed an attack staggering Mega Houndoom.

"Finish it, Mega Shuriken!" Ash said as he mimicked Greninja's movement as it grabbed the giant shuriken on its back and launched it at Mega Houndoom at terrifying speed. Before Mega Houndoom could react, the attack landed. Malva knew the result, as most of everyone else did but they still needed to see it. As the cloud of mist and dust cleared, Houndoom was on the ground in its normal form, fainted.

"And Mega Houndoom is down, Ash Ketchum wins!" The announcer stated for all to hear. The crowd applauded and cheered.

"With the last member of the Elite Four defeated. Ash has completed the Elite Four challenge and has earned the right to challenge the Kalos Champion herself...Diantha!" The announcer said, making the crowd cheer more.

Ash, breathing as if he just ran a couple of miles, returned Greninja and took a deep breath. He looked over at Serena and the group with a smile, but the smile soon turned into a frown of concern.

Ash saw Serena and the rest of the group looking to their right. Following their gaze, Ash saw Diantha standing up talking to Professor Sycamore who had a serious look. Diantha motioned towards two people behind her. The two men nodded and moved towards Serena and the group.

They said a few words and motioned the group to follow them. Serena glanced towards Ash and their eyes met. Worry filled her eyes but before Ash could do anything, an explosion was heard from outside the stadium. The cheering changed to cries of panic and soon people started to flee.

"Everyone stay calm and proceed to the exits in an orderly fashion."

Ash recognized the voice belonged to Diantha. Ash looked over and sure enough, Diantha had a microphone and was instructing the crowd of over twenty thousand to safety.

"...Everyone, including trainers, are to go to their assigned rooms until further notice..."

Ash looked back and searched for Serena in the crowd, just able to see her pink hat and Clemont's blonde hair. They were being escorted by the two men. Ash saw Diantha had jumped down onto the battlefield and was running towards him. Ash ran towards her as well and the two met on the side of the arena floor.

"We just got word from Sycamore's assistant, Alain," Diantha started to say. "He's obtained the Z-core and is on the run from Team Flare, but now it seems Team Flare are attacking here. Most likely trying to steal the other Z-core." She said as they both looked at the growing dust cloud rising over the stadium.

"I need to get to Serena, and the rest of my friends." Ash said, his fists raised. Diantha nodded and pointed behind Ash toward the exit.

"I have my men escorting them to your hotel room now where they will meet two more of my people. They'll be safe there." Diantha said, but no sooner had she said that, that another explosion happened. Ash ran off towards the exit. The Trainer's Lounge he went through was near a side entrance so Ash was able to exit the stadium without running into anyone.

As Ash ran towards the hotel he was staying in, he ran into a person in orange clothing.

"Team Flare?!" Ash said.

A Houndour was at the Team Flare grunt's side and the two were blocking his path.

"Agh...I don't have time for this." Ash said with frustration. He pulled out a Pokeball but before he could call out his Pokemon, Pikachu jumped from his shoulder and fired a Thunderbolt, hitting both Houndour and the Trainer, leaving them dazed.

"Pikachu! You still haven't recovered from today's battle." He said as he picked up Pikachu into his arms. The Pokeball still in hand, he tossed it and Charizard appeared. He tossed three more Pokeballs and out came Hawlucha, Noivern, and Talonflame.

"Cover us, we need to get to Serena and the others." Ash said. He planned on fighting back against Team Flare, but he had to make sure Serena was alright and that Bonnie still had Squishy.

It took a minute for Ash to make it to his hotel. Along the way, Charizard was in front, Noivern and Talonflame guarded the sides, and Hawlucha covered the rear. Once inside, a security guard stopped Ash, but seeing who it was let him through the main lobby. As Ash ran, another explosion happened, but this time it was much closer. In fact, Ash was sure the explosion had hit the building he was in.

With adrenaline pumping through his system, Ash sprinted down the hallway to his room. When he saw his door, fear gripped him. He could see smoke coming from underneath the door. Ash slammed into it, breaking it down. His eyes were stinging from the dust and smoke, and he covered his mouth with his shirt.

"Serena!" Ash cried out.

"Ash?!" A female voice rang out. It was near.

"Serena? Where are you?!" Ash called out again.

"I'm here." The voice said, it was right next to Ash, and he soon found a shape on the ground. Ash knelt down and saw Serena covered in dust. They embraced each other, both thankful the other was ok.

"Serena what happened?" Ash asked. He looked over at the far wall and saw there was no more wall. A giant hole was there, leading to the outside.

"They...they took Bonnie, Ash." Serena said.

"What? What about Clemont, where's Sawyer?" Ash asked. He picked up Serena, leading her to the hole outside to get her some clean air.

"Diantha's men took Sawyer to his own room, he couldn't stay with us. Clemont ran after Team Flare after they took Bonnie." Serena explained. The two made it outside, where dozens of battles were happening all over the Pokemon League Village.

"What about the other two guards that were supposed to meet you here? Diantha said they were supposed to be here!" Ash said looking around for any sign of Bonnie or Clemont but there was none.

"When we arrived at the door, there was a man and a woman. The men that escorted us left, and once we made it inside the room the man and woman attacked us. They were a part of Team Flare." Serena said.

"Darn it..." Was all that Ash could say. He looked around some more but there was no trace. A soft hand on his cheek interrupted his clouded thoughts. He turned towards Serena who was looking at him with a smile.

"I'm glad you're safe Serena." Ash said, a smile on his face. She smiled back and kissed him.

"Shadow Ball!"

Ash and Serena looked over and saw a Gardevoir coming around the building. It had defeated a Drapion, which was laying down against a fallen tree. Right behind the Gardevoir came Diantha.

"Ash!" Diantha called out as she rushed over. "Are you two alright?"

"Yeah, we're fine." Serena said as Diantha came up to them.

"Diantha, Team Flare took Bonnie, and Clemont went after them." Ash explained briefly.

"And I can't contact anyone from the Elite Four besides Malva. She's at the stadium escorting everyone to safety." Diantha explained.

"This is bad, they've been planning this all along." Ash said grimly.

"We have to help everyone." Serena said

"But what about Bonnie?" Ash said.

"I'll go back and make sure everyone is safe. They're my responsibility." Diantha said, "Ash, I trust you will find Bonnie and get Squishy back."

"Of course." Ash said

"I'm coming with you" Serena said, tightening her grip on Ash's hand.

"No," Ash said instinctively. "You're hurt."

"I'm fine Ash, just have a bit of dust in my hair." Serena responded.

"Serena can come with me Ash. I can keep her safe." Diantha offered.

"Thank you Diantha." Ash said, Serena shook her head.

"No, I'm staying with you Ash!" Serena said, raising her voice.

"Serena, please...go with Diantha, find Sawyer. They'll keep you safe." Ash said, facing Serena. "My Pokemon are still weakened, and I'm not sure if I can keep you safe as well."

Serena lowered her head

"Fine..." She said with a quiet voice.

"Don't worry, I'll find Bonnie and Squishy and I'll come back to you." Ash said, raising her chin so he could see her eyes.

"Promise me." She said, a small tear went down her cheek.

"I promise to come back to you." Ash replied without missing a beat. The two young trainers shared a kiss, but the battle around them was intensifying, so Diantha interrupted them.

"I'm sorry Serena, we need to go." She said, motioning for Serena to join her.

"Alright, go Serena." Ash said as he let her go.

"I'll see you soon..." Serena said wiping her tears away.

Diantha and Serena made their way back to the main courtyard of the village. Ash watched them go, then released Noivern and Talonflame from their Pokeballs.

"We need to find Bonnie and Clemont, but stay close!" Ash said to them as they took off into the air. Ash then went off running in the opposite direction.

* * *

"Shadow Ball!"

"Flamethrower!"

Diantha and Serena made it to the main courtyard and were battling two of the members of Team Flare with their Gardevoir and Braixen. Battling against the Champion, Team Flare stood no chance. In the midst of the battle, Serena noticed a Sceptile and found Sawyer soon after.

Once Serena brought Sawyer up to speed, they continued to battle against Team Flare until they ran into Duran and his Mega Tyranitar. He was battling against several Team Flare members, but they were no match for him.

"Diantha..." Duran said. "I suspect you know what's going on?"

"It's Team Flare and they're after something." She responded, looking around at the carnage that engulfed the village.

"What is...? Hmm...I guess it's a secret." Duran said with a nod.

"Very well. What do you need me to do?" Duran asked getting right to the point. Once the crisis was over, he would ask again.

"I need you to head over to the Pokemon Center and secure the western side of the village. Diantha answered. With that, Duran and his Mega Tyranitar made their way towards the Pokemon Center.

"What about me?" Sawyer asked.

"I need you at the stadium. Find Malva and figure out where the rest of the Elite Four are. Diantha said. Sawyer nodded and ran towards the main stadium, Sceptile right behind him.

"What can I do?" Serena asked. Serena and her Braixen were determined to help out, but Diantha shook her head.

"You stay here with me, and make sure people can get to safety." She said.

Serena was about to argue, but then she and Diantha noticed a strange silence fall over the village. The Pokemon from both trainers and Team Flare seemed to stop fighting. Everyone's attention were on dozens of green streaks of light travelling through the air over the village.

Serena followed their trail in the sky and noticed they were all going in the same direction and landing just outside the village. After a few moments of silence, the dozens of battles around the village started back up.

"Bonnie..." Serena whispered to herself. She looked over at Diantha who had noticed the green streaks, but was now focused on directing people away from the danger. Serena took her chance while Diantha was distracted and ran off towards the green streaks.

* * *

Ash was looking around an empty street for any sign of Bonnie, but nothing could be found. He looked up toward his two Pokemon flying in the sky. Talonflame, and Noivern both came back with nothing as well. Then all of a sudden, the two Pokemon looked behind them towards the sky.

"What the...?" Ash said as he saw green streaks of light going across the sky. "Those look like the things that Squishy absorbed when it turned into that dog form, but there are hundreds of them?! That has to be where Bonnie and Squishy are!"

Ash went through a back alleyway and made his way to the spot outside the village where all the streaks were converging.

As he left the village and into the forest, rain started to fall. The storm had arrived...


	34. Chapter 34: Eye of the Storm

**Ch. 34: Eye of the Storm**

It had all happened so fast. As Bonnie was laying down on the ground from the far wall collapsing, two sets of hands grabbed her and tossed her into the back of a van. As the van sped off, Bonnie was beginning to regain her senses. She heard several loud booms as explosions continued to destroy parts of the village. Bonnie could hear the sounds of Pokemon and people locked in battles, but the roar of the van's engine made it hard to make sense of any of it.

Slowly Bonnie opened her eyes. There was a dim red light above her in the middle of the space she was in. She looked around and saw there were two people in with her. One had green hair and the other purple, and each had a matching colored visor.

"What? Who are you?" Bonnie said weakly as she struggled to get up from the floor. A growl made her jump. She look behind her quickly and saw a Manectric, a blue and yellow wolf snarling at her.

"What do you want from me?" Bonnie asked, keeping her eyes on the Manectric. The two people in with her didn't answer her but Bonnie already knew what they were after. It was just like Sycamore and that gentleman Lysandre had said. It was Team Flare and they were after Squishy. Bonnie slowly looked back at her two captors. Seeing them more clearly now she recognized the two women from before. Bonnie had seen both of them in Terminus cave when they were trying to capture Squishy.

 _ **Clemont...Ash...Serena, where are you?**_

"We're here." A female voice said, coming from the cabin of the van. Soon after, the van came to a screeching halt making Bonnie roll back into the Manectric. Franticly, Bonnie scrambled back to the middle of the space. Bonnie could hear the people in the cabin get out, but the two people in with her didn't move.

The back door opened and the Manectric jumped down. Bonnie looked and saw two more women outside. They too had visors but one had blue hair and the other had orange hair. Before Bonnie could wonder why they were dressed so weirdly, the two captors inside had grabbed each of her arms and dragged her outside.

"Hey let go of me!" Bonnie shouted as she struggled and kicked but she was no match for two adults.

The four women and Bonnie rushed over to a clearing. Bonnie immediately recognized the place as the lake where Serena and Ash had brought them to for a relaxing day before the Elite Four challenge. On the edge of the lake was a black helicopter with orange trim. When they got closer, the helicopter side door opened and two men walked out.

The first one had orange clothing, red goggles, and a weird haircut. In his hands were a glass container. Bonnie didn't take much notice in him as she was focused on the second man behind him. Bonnie's eyes widened as she saw Lysandre step out of the helicopter.

"M-Mister Lysandre?" Bonnie said out loud.

"Why did you bring the young girl too?" The other man said.

"We were going to grab the Z-core initially, but we had reports that the boy Ash was on his way so we had to get away fast." The orange haired woman said.

"Mister Lysandre, why are you working for Team Flare?! They're the bad guys!" Bonnie shouted, stilling struggling.

"Oh Bonnie, I don't work for Team Flare." Lysandre responded with a smile. "They work for me."

Before Bonnie could respond, the other man stepped forward with the container.

"Make this easy on yourself little girl. Hand over the Z-core, and we let you go unharmed then we'll leave." The man said.

"No! Squishy doesn't want to go with you. It wants to stay with me!" Bonnie said, but there was nothing she could do while the two women held on to her arms.

"Have it your way, Mable...take the bag from the girl." The man said to the blue haired woman. As she approached and reached for Bonnie's bag a small shape jumped out of the bag. Before anyone could respond, Mable was shocked by Dedenne as it used Nuzzle. Dedenne had taken down one woman, but as the small mouse Pokemon looked around, it was surrounded.

"What the?! Manectric, use Quick attack!" The purpled hair woman said as she held on to Bonnie. Dedenne looked back but it was too late as Manectric slammed into Dedenne, launching it across the ground.

"Ugh...that little..." Mable said as she got up from the shock. She took out her own Pokeball and faced Dedenne who was still on the ground, dazed from the attack.  
"Mable...the bag." The man said, stopping Mable.

"Yes Xerosic." She said as she went back to Bonnie.

"No, stay away from me!" Bonnie protested, but Mable took Bonnie's bag with ease. She opened the bag, revealing Squishy hiding in the bottom.

"Come here you little bugger..." Mable said as she reached inside. Squishy wasn't planning on getting taken so easily. It jumped out and hit Mable in the face, knocking her down again.

The two women that held on to Bonnie had let go. Soon there was a Manectric, Weavile, Bisharp, and Druddigon surrounding Squishy preventing its escape.

"The hard way, huh? Don't forget, we already defeated your other half. What makes you think you will do any better?" Xerosic said.

"Squishy, get away! Run!" Bonnie pleaded, but Squishy stood its ground.

"Grab the Z-core!" Xerosic commanded.

As the four Pokemon closed in, the ground shook. Squishy began to glow and a sphere of green energy engulfed the small Pokemon.

"Get back!" Lysandre commanded, and both Pokemon and Trainers abided.

Bonnie ran over to Dedenne. She picked up the dazed Pokemon and hid behind a tree. She looked on as Squishy began to glow ever brighter. Soon, green streaks came from the sky and were absorbed into Squishy. Bonnie remembered this happening in Terminus cave, but as she looked on she saw hundreds more than before being absorbed into Squishy.

"Squishy..." Bonnie whispered.

A strong hand placed itself on Bonnie's shoulder making her jump and face her would be attacker.

"Bonnie it's me." A familiar voice said.

"Clemont!" Bonnie shouted as she hugged her big brother.

"Hurry, we need to get out of here." Clemont said as he started dragging Bonnie away.

"No Clemont, wait! We need to save Squishy!" Bonnie argued. Clemont didn't stop.

"What we need to do now is get you to safety Bonnie!" Clemont shouted.

Before Bonnie could say another word, a loud and earth-shattering roar echoed through the air. Clemont and Bonnie looked back and saw a giant green snake-like creature appear, still glowing with immense power.

"Is that...Zygarde" Clemont said, unable to believe his eyes.

"Squishy..." Bonnie whispered.

Lysandre looked upon the Kalos Legendary Pokemon with a glare and a grin as he took out a pokeball himself.

"Looks like I'll will need to step in." He said as he tossed his pokeball out toward the lake. A Gyarados appeared, roaring at Zygarde. On the middle spike of Gyarados' crown was a mega stone.

"Gyarados, Mega Evolve and teach this Legendary Pokemon that it will usher in my new world whether it wants to or not!" Lysandre said as he touched the key stone on his ring. Gyarados roared as the Mega Evolution energy engulfed it. It shined brightly and rose above the water. As the light dimmed, Mega Gyarados appeared as it hovered in the air.

The two Pokemon squared off as the other Team Flare members and their Pokemon took a couple of steps back. Zygarde roared and fired off a Dragon Pulse attack.

"Iron Head!" Lysandre ordered. Mega Gyarados flew straight into the Dragon Pulse attack. Mega Gyarados blasted through and struck Zygarde. As it flew away for another attack, Zygarde continued to fire its Dragon Pulse at Mega Gyarados.

"You four, attack Zygarde as well!" Xerosic told the four women and their Pokemon.

"Drapion use Poison Jab! " Celosia commanded.

"Weavile, Ice shard!" Mable shouted.

"Bisharp, use Night Slash!" Bryony called out.

"Druddigon, Dragon Claw!" Alaina told her Pokemon.

The four Pokemon charged Zygarde as it was distracted and attacked in unison. Zygarde flinched from the combined attack, but turned and used a quick and powerful Earthquake attack, knocking all four Pokemon out in a single attack. That was the opening Lysandre needed.

"Gyarados finish this now! Outrage!" Lysandre shouted. Mega Gyarados glowed a crimson red and launched itself into Zygarde before it could counter.

"Squishy!" Bonnie shouted just as the shockwave from the explosion knocked her and Clemont down.

As the dust settled, Clemont and Bonnie got up and tried to spot any sign of Zygarde or Team Flare, but it was still too hard to see anything.

"Bonnie! Clemont!" A voice called out behind them. The two siblings turned and saw Ash running up to them.

"Ash!" They cried out.

"Are you two ok?" Ash asked as he helped them up.

"Yeah we're fine, where's Serena?" Clemont responded.

"She's fine. She's back at the village with Diantha." Ash telling them some good news.

"Ash, look! Squishy is in danger! Team Flare and Mr. Lysandre are attacking it!" Bonnie exclaimed.

"Wait, what? Lysandre?" Ash asked confused. He looked over to the edge of the dust cloud and sure enough, Lysandre was there standing with members of Team Flare.

"Yes, it seems Lysandre is actually Team Flare's boss." Clemont said.

"Then he had all this planned from the start..." Ash replied.

"Look!" Bonnie said as she pointed into the dust.

Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie looked and saw the shape of Mega Gyarados still flying in the air over the lake. Lysandre and Team Flare were standing by the shore but there was no sign of Zygarde. As they looked harder for Squishy Bonnie saw it. Horror filled her eyes as she saw Squishy had returned in its core form, not moving. The man, Xerosic moved towards Squishy with his capsule.

"Oh no you don't!" Ash said as he came out of the clearing. He threw out a Pokeball, revealing his Greninja. Clemont followed and threw out his Luxray to join the battle. Team Flare's Pokemon, went up to challenge Ash and Clemont's Pokemon. It was a two on four, and Ash's Greninja had been battling earlier.

"Pikachu, stay back with Bonnie alright?" Ash said to his tired friend. Pikachu relunctly agreed, and lead Bonnie to the forest's edge of the clearing. The six Pokemon stood ready for the battle to begin. Rain started to come down as the storm was arriving. Ash could hear the faint booms of distant thunderclaps.

"Weavile use Night Slash!" Mable commanded.

"Bisharp you too. Night Slash!" Bryony called out.

"Drapion use X-Scissor!" Celosia ordered.

"Druddigon use Dragon Claw!" Alaina told her Pokemon.

The four Flare Pokemon rushed Greninja and Luxray. Weavile and Bisharp went for Greninja while the Drapion and Druddigon went after Luxray.

"Luxray use Swift!" Clemont shouted. Luxray fired off multiple stars that hit the two charging Pokemon, stopping their attacks.

 _ **Alright Greninja. Let's give it everything we got to save Squishy**_

 _ **Ninja!**_

As Weavile and Bisharp lunged at Greninja, it shot out a veil of water that propelled the two dark Pokemon back. The veil then collapsed and formed into a giant water shuriken on Greninja's back.

"Greninja use Cut!" Ash said as he mimicked Greninja's movement. Twin blades of light appeared and Greninja zoomed in after Weavile and Bisharp with uncanny speed as if it was perfectly healthy.

"Night Slash!" Mable and Bryony shouted together. Weavile and Bisharp leapt at Greninja and slashed with their dark claws. Greninja blocked both of the attacks with its Cut.

 _ **PUSH THROUGH!**_

Greninja stopped the two attacks, and held the two Pokemon at bay. The twin blades grew brighter and with a great effort, Greninja pushed the dual Night Slash attacks up. With Weavile and Bisharp exposed, Greninja brought its twin blades back down and in one swift move slashed through both of them, knocking them out with one hit.

"Luxray, Thunder Fang!" Clemont called out as it countered Druddigon's Dragon Claw. The Drapion had gotten up and saw an opening against Luxray.

"Use Poison Jab!" Celosio ordered.

"Ah! Luxray look out!" Clemont called out.

As Drapion came in from the side, there was nothing Luxray could do while it struggled with Druddigon.

 _ **Greninja use Aerial Ace!**_

As Drapion closed in, Greninja jumped over Luxray from the other side and intercepted the attack. After a quick block, Greninja then swiftly landed three more attacks and launched Drapion back into Weavile and Bisharp that were trying to get up. With Drapion on top of them, they were finally down for good.

"Thanks Ash, we'll finish this up. Luxray use Swift!" Clemont said. Still engaged with Druddigon with Thunder Fang, Luxray used its tail and launched another salvo of stars that circled around and hit Druddigon in the side and back. Druddigon staggered and broke off its Dragon Claw attack.

"Now use Wild Charge!" Clemont called out. Luxray charged up and slammed into Druddigon, launching it into the pile of the other Team Flare Pokemon.

"Great job you two!" Ash said to the two Pokemon.

Lysandre had been watching the whole time. His Mega Gyarados had stayed back the whole time as well. With Greninja and Luxray defeating four of his best followers, he had decided it was his time to step in.

"It looks like if you want something done, you have to do it yourself..." Lysandre said with disgust towards the Team Flare scientists.

"What do you want with Squishy and the other Zygarde core? What makes them so important that you would attack innocent people." Clemont asked.

"It is beyond your comprehension boys. But I will say this…A new world, far more beautiful than this one will be formed and Zygarde will be the one to usher it in." Lysandre said as he took the capsule from Xerosic.

"But what will happen to the old world?" Ash asked.

"It will be destroyed so the new world can come to fruition." Lysandre said casually.

"We can't let you do that!" Ash shouted.

"Coming from you, it's really surprising to hear that." Lysandre commented.

"Wh…what do you mean?" Ash asked. Why would Lysandre think he would want the world to be destroyed?

"You love Pokemon, correct?" Lysandre asked.

"Of course." Ash answered.

"Then how can you sit idly by as people use Pokemon for their own selfish desires. Even you use them to achieve you dream at being the very best Pokemon Master." Lysandre explained.

"My Pokemon are my friends. They're not tools. They too share my dream of being the best." Ash fired back.

"Yes there is no doubt you mean that. In the time since I met you, you have shown that. You may be an exception to the rule." Lysandre said.

"Even then, what about Pokemon? With the world destroyed, what will happen to all the Pokemon?" Clemont asked.

"Pokemon…" Lysandre said as he looked up at his Mega Gyarados. Ash could have sworn he saw a glimpse of sadness in Lysandre. "…shall no longer exist."

"What?!" Ash and Clemont both shouted, not believing what they were hearing.

"Pokemon are amazing creatures, beautiful in a thousand different ways. Humans and Pokemon have coexisted, and grown together. We have helped one another, but we humans have and will inevitably use Pokemon as tools for evil: Theft, kidnapping, enslavement, and war." Lysandre explained.

"And so destroying the world and killing all the Pokemon is better?" Clemont shouted.

"And what are you doing? Protecting a world that will only get worse?!" Lysandre snapped, his anger building. "We live in a stable society now. But what will happen when there are too many humans and Pokemon on this planet? What will happen when there aren't enough resources to go around? What will happen when we can't feed everyone? I'll tell you what will happen..."

"Another Great War will begin and engulf the world, like the one three thousand years ago." Lysandre said, almost in a whisper.

 _ **This is exactly what Malamar was talking about at Victory Road too.**_

"That's not going to happen!" A voice rang out behind Ash and Clemont. Bonnie had walked up from the tree line with Pikachu in her arms.

"People and Pokemon don't always have to fight!" Bonnie exclaimed. Lysandre shook his head in disagreement.

"And yet, the biggest event of the year in every region is the Pokemon League where humans make their Pokemon fight one another." Lysandre shouted. Ash had heard enough, he stepped forward along with his Greninja.

"We battle to push our limits. It isn't about defeating the other trainer and their Pokemon, but seeing just how strong the bond between you and your Pokemon are! Not only that, but the Pokemon League brings everyone together. You meet people from all over, make new friends, and create new and exciting memories to share with your Pokemon." Ash declared. The words seemed to get through to Lysandre, but again he shook his head.

"If only more humans were like you, then maybe you would be correct. But I've seen what happens to an individual when they grow too strong for their own good." Lysandre said.

"What are you talking about?" Ash asked.

"I've heard you ran into a young man named Alain. Am I correct?" Lysandre asked with a grin.

"What does he have to do with this?" Ash answered, fearing what Lysandre would say.

"Well with the right push, a so called innocent trainer, one that was very much like yourself, has turned into a man seeking only to be the strongest and to do anything to achieve his goal." Lysandre responded.

"What did you do to Alain?!" Ash shouted.

"That's the thing...I didn't do anything. It was him. You see, his little friend didn't like what he was doing and the path he was going down...and so Alain snapped at her and made her run away. Then her Pokemon dealt in matters it shouldn't have been in and now it's in the hospital in a coma. Hmph...It's actually quite funny. He blames himself for it and so will go to any length to fix it. But that mistake has corrected itself as we now have the Z-core back." Lysandre said with a halfhearted laugh.

"You see, it was because of that little girl's Pokemon that this Z-core escaped in the first place." Lysandre concluded.

"YOU BASTARD!"

Everyone looked over and saw bright blue flame shoot out from the sky and slam into the Mega Gyarados. A dark shape flew overheard and then landed in front of Ash and his Greninja. A familiar person jumped off the winged Pokemon that was black and blue.

"Alain!" Ash said, but Alain payed no attention to him.

"Alain…what a surprise." Lysandre said, his words not matching his furious expression. Mega Gyarados rose from the water, its expression matching its owners.

"I heard everything…This whole time…Everything that has happened…WAS BECAUSE OF YOU! Charizard Flamethrower!" Alain was filled with rage, shouting at the top of his lungs. Mega Charizard flew up, enraged like its trainer, and fired another powerful blast at Mega Gyarados who was able to dodge it, but Mega Charizard was too fast.

"Dragon Claw!" Alain shouted. Mega Charizard flew up behind Mega Gyarados and slammed it into the lake. The rain was picking up, and Ash could see lightning and heard the thunder soon after though he couldn't tell if the loud booms were from the storm or from Mega Charizard's roars.

"Blast Burn!" Alain yelled. As Mega Gyarados recovered from the Dragon Claw attack it looked up and saw Mega Charizard just in time as it again slammed into it, but this time with its strongest attack. The lake exploded with fire and water, resulting in the whole area being covered in steam and smoke. Ash couldn't see Alain but he could still hear him.

"You deceived everyone into thinking you were researching mega evolution for peaceful purposes! It was because of you that Hoenn was nearly destroyed. Angering Rayquaza and awakening Groudon and Kyogre! A mess that I was supposed to fix! Making me work alongside your people, believing them to be good. Deceiving me and leading me away from my friends and down a path of ruin and hatred..." Alain said.

"Gah!" A voice rang out.

"Alain!" Ash cried out. He ran into the steam and smoke looking for Alain, his Greninja next to him.

"And what's worse! It was because of you that Chespie got hurt. It was because of you that she doesn't smile anymore! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!" Alain was in a rage. Ash ran towards his voice as the cloud of steam started to dissipate.

Ash saw Alain over Lysandre who had been tackled by Mega Charizard. Its foot on Lysandre's chest, pinning him to the ground. The capsule holding Squishy had broken and the Z-core was on the ground, still out cold. Both Alain and Mega Charizard's eyes glaring at Lysandre, glowing with hatred.

"Alain stop!" Ash shouted as he ran up to Alain.

"Stay out of this Ash!" Alain growled at Ash, still looking at Lysandre.

"You've beaten him…" Ash said, keeping calm. "Let Diantha and the police take care of him."

"You don't understand, he's responsible for...EVERYTHING." Alain said through clenched teeth, tears forming in his eyes.

"I know…but he'll get the justice he deserves." Ash said, putting his hand on Alain's shoulder.

"Justice he deserves?!" Alain shouted, he shoved Ash away from him, knocking him to the ground.

"HE DOESN'T DESERVE JUSTICE!" Alain said. He now faced Lysandre with unbound hatred.

"Alain, no!" Ash pleaded.

 **"YOU DON'T DESERVE TO LIVE!"** Alain yelled, Mega Charizard roaring along with him.

"Alain!"

A clear, yet scared voice rang out. Alain and Mega Charizard heard it, and immediately the hatred left them.

"Alain, please don't do this!" The voice shouted once more.

Both Ash and Alain turned toward the voice and saw a red headed girl running towards them. Right behind her was a honey blonde girl with a pink hat.

"Mairin…" Alain said, his voice shaky.

"Serena!" Ash said, thankful she was ok.

Mairin ran past Ash and embraced Alain, while Serena ran over to Ash and embraced him on the ground. Clemont and Bonnie ran over as well. Upon seeing Squishy over by the side, Bonnie ran over a picked up the fainted Z-core.

"Mairin…I told you to stay at the Pokemon Center." Alain said. His voice and stance had calmed down. Ash could see the guilt in his eyes. Mega Charizard returned to its normal form, but it still held its foot down on Lysandre.

"I was just so scared. I was worried about you Alain." Mairin responded, still burying her head into his chest.

"Are you ok Ash?" Serena asked. Ash could see the worry in her eyes.

"I'm fine, really." Ash responded. "Is Squishy ok?"

Serena looked over at Bonnie as she was cradling Squishy. Clemont was examining it, and nodded his head.

"It's just fainted. If we bring it to the Pokemon Center, everything should be fine." Clemont said.

* * *

"Xerosic, listen to me very carefully. We can still get out of this with both cores…" Lysandre whispered into his ear piece. Xerosic and the rest of the Team Flare scientists were still being watched by Clemont's Luxray, making sure they didn't run away.

"Does your sensor say that both cores are here?" Lysandre whispered making sure Charizard couldn't hear him. Lysandre was looking at Alain's backpack. He never remembered Alain having a backpack before. Xerosic checked his scanner, Luxray roared at the movement.

"Stay put and don't move!" Clemont said as he turned towards Xerosic.

"Of course..." Xerosic said as he dropped the scanner on the ground. Little did Clemont know that Xerosic had seen all he needed to know.

"Lysandre, both Z-cores are here." Xerosic whispered under his breath.

"Then it's as I suspected. The other Z-core must be in Alain's backpack. You know what to do..." Lysandre commented.

* * *

"Ash?" Alain said.

Ash and Serena looked over towards Alain. He had calmed down, his voice was normal again but Ash could hear the guilt in it.

"I'm sorry about hitting you. I was just..." Alain started to say. Ash could see the anger and grief in Alain.

"It's ok Alain. I'm fine. I'm just glad you're back to normal." Ash said with a smile.

"I don't think I'll ever be back to normal...back to the way I was before." Alain said lowering his head.

"Alain?" Mairin said, finally looking up at him.

"Uh...yes Mairin?" Alain said hesitantly.

"I'm glad your safe." Mairin said with tears still in her eyes, but with a smile. There had been times after Chespie's accident that Mairin had smiled, but Alain could see the pain she was trying to hide. Now for the first time, the joy that she had so often expressed had come back, if not for just a moment.

"Crobat, Air Slash!"

The group looked over and saw Xerosic had stealthy grabbed his Pokeball and summoned his Crobat. The winged bat Pokemon immediately fired off an Air Slash attack at Alain and Mairin.

"Mairin look out!" Alain shouted as he put himself in front of the attack, protecting Mairin. The attack hit Alain, knocking him and Mairin down. Alain's backpack had blocked the attack. Ash heard glass break from inside the backpack.

"Luxray, Thunder Fang!" Clemont countered. Luxray charged and struck Crobat, the super effective attack seriously injuring the Pokemon, but not yet fainted.

"Alain, Mairin, are you two alright?" Ash called out as he went over to Alain. As he approached, Ash noticed a small green spot run out of the severed backpack.

"A...another Squishy?" Ash said out loud. The group looked and saw another Squishy, but this one had a blue spot unlike the red spot that Bonnie's Squishy had.

The blue Z-Core looked around, seeing Lysandre, Xerosic, and Alain. It knew them as enemies, and then a green shape caught its eye. The blue Z-core looked at its brother core in Bonnie's arms, still fainted.

Seeing all this, the blue Z-core had had enough. It called upon its power and soon green streaks from all over zoomed in towards the Z-core. As it absorbed hundreds of Cells, Alain gathered everyone up.

"We got to move, now!" He said. As the others moved, he went over to Lysandre and picked up him by the collar.

"You're going to stay, and once we've dealt with another mess you've made...you'll answer for your crimes." Alain said as he shoved Lysandre forward, making him move to where the rest of the group was.

As everyone got to the safety of the tree line, the Z-core had turned into the snake-like form of Zygarde, just like Squishy had done previously. It wasted no time as it fired off several Dragon Pulses wildly. It spotted Team Flare's helicopter and turned it into a pile of rubble with one of its attacks.

After it's initial rage, Zygarde turned towards the group in the tree line. It roared, glowing a bright green. Squishy in Bonnie's arms also began to glow, and was beginning to be pulled towards Zygarde.

"Wha?! Squishy no!" Bonnie cried out as she held on to Squishy, not able to stop Zygarde's pull.

"Bonnie no!" Clemont shouted as he grabbed onto Bonnie. Ash and Serena joined in, but even with their combined strength, Squishy was still being pulled towards Zygarde.  
"Greninja! Use Water Shuriken on Zygarde!" Ash called out. Greninja leapt into the air and fired off two shurikens, but they barely left a mark.

"Charizard, use Flamethrower!" Alain told his Pokemon. He had no time to Mega Evolve again, so Charizard flew in, in its normal form.

Even with Greninja and Charizard attacking Zygarde, Squishy was still being pulled toward Zygarde. As the group was being pulled closer, Bonnie lost her grip and Squishy was absorbed into Zygarde.

"Squishy!" Bonnie cried as the group fell down together.

All of a sudden, a great shockwave swept over them and everything was silent, even the storm, for a moment. Zygarde was motionless as it looked straight up into the sky. Then as the moment passed, a great beam appeared out of Zygarde shooting straight into the storm clouds above. The power of the beam forced the clouds away until a giant hole had appeared in the storm, like the eye of a hurricane.

Ash and the rest looked back to where Zygarde had been, but it was no longer there. As they looked around, an overwhelming roar came from above. Up in the middle of the eye of the storm was a single Pokemon. It looked like Zygarde, but it had legs and arms now. It had green markings all over its mostly black body. It was so high up, but Ash could see that it had what looked like four black wings, with two of them having a red stripe, and the other two had a blue stripe.

"The legend was true..." Ash said in awe of the Pokemon in the sky.

"Is that...?" Clemont asked, also in amazement.

"The true Legendary Pokemon of Kalos...Zygarde in its complete form!" Xerosic said with praise.

"And now...the old world shall be unmade and a new one with be ushered in..." Lysandre said coldly, a cruel grin creeping across his face.

"Squishy..." Bonnie said with tears in her eyes.


	35. Chapter 35: The Guardian of Kalos

**Chapter 35: The Guardian of Kalos**

Everyone in the Pokemon Village looked up towards the sky. From civilians, to trainers, to Team Flare, to Diantha herself. A great silence washed over the area as humans and Pokemon alike stared at the hole in the clouds, and the Legendary Pokemon in the center of it.

"It's Zygarde..." Diantha said in awe.

"In it's complete form it would seem." A voice stated behind Diantha.

"Professor, it's good to see you're safe." Diantha said to Sycamore.

"Thank you, where is Ash and the rest of the group?" Sycamore asked.

"They must be over there, where Zygarde is." Diantha said. She explained everything she knew up to this point.

"I see, but where are your Elite Four? Are they protecting the village too?" Sycamore said looking around.

"I haven't seen any of them. I last saw Malva helping people at the stadium, but even she's disappeared it seems." Diantha explained.

"This isn't good. I hope the legend is true, and that Zygarde is here to protect Kalos." Sycamore said as he looked on with worry.

"We can only hope..." Diantha whispered.

* * *

"What do we do now?" Clemont asked to the group.

"Nothing..." Lysandre answered, "None of you are a match against the true form of Zygarde."

"We'll see about that!" Alain said. He turned towards his Charizard.

"Beyond evolution, Mega Evolve!" Alain shouted as he touched the keystone on his wrist. As the others looked on, Charizard shined with light until it again became the black and blue dragon they all knew.

"Please Alain...You barely held your own against Zygarde in it's 50% form, what makes you think you stand a chance now?" Lysandre said menacingly.

"Because he's not alone." Ash responded, stepping forward with Alain. He tossed out his own Pokeball revealing his own Charizard.

"Your Charizard can mega evolve?" Alain asked, noticing the harness on Ash's Charizard.

"Yep, Professor Sycamore gave us a mysterious mega stone that responded to Charizards. We couldn't mega evolve at first, but thanks to Serena we were finally able to." Ash explained. Alain looked over at Serena with question, wondering how she could have helped. All he saw was the honey blonde girl blushing deeply.

"What do you mean mysterious?" Alain asked.

"Well you see, the mega stone makes my Charizard mega evolve differently." Ash replied.

"Different?" Alain asked.

"Let us show you." Ash said, "Alright Charizard, respond to my heart. Mega Evolve!" Ash said as he touched the keystone embedded in his glove. Like Alain's Charizard, Ash's Charizard shined with a great light until it fully evolved, revealing its different form. Alain looked on with wonder, amazed that if given the chance, his Charizard could mega evolve like that too.

The two trainers and two Mega Charizards turned and looked up at Zygarde. With the two mega evolutions, they had caught Zygarde's attention. It looked down at them with an smoldering rage. It saw Alain and his Charizard, the ones that battled it months ago, resulting in its blue core capture. They were joined by another trainer and his Charizard, and they were standing in front of Lysandre and Team Flare.

 _ **They are protecting...HIM!**_

Zygarde raised one of its arms up, pointing it towards the group. With a roar that echoed throughout the area, it fired a multi-colored Dragon Pulse beam at them.

"Flamethrower!" Both Ash and Alain shouted. The two Charizard's attacked and met Zygarde's attack in mid-air. The resulting explosion, knocked everyone down save for Alain, Ash and their Pokemon.

"Charizard, use Dragon Claw!" Alain called out.

"You too Charizard!" Ash said as his Charizard flew up after Alain's. The two Mega Charizard's flew up towards Zygarde, their claws burning in a pale green light.

As the two Mega Pokemon flew up higher and higher, Zygarde surrounded itself in a green aura, then in an instant zoomed right at the two Charizards, knocking them down with great velocity.

"Charizard!" Alain shouted.

"Look out!" Ash cried out. Zygarde had fired off another Dragon Pulse at the two Mega Charizard as they continued to fall.

 _ **They can't avoid it in time...Greninja we have to stop it!**_

 _ **Ninja!**_

"Now! Water Shuriken!" Ash shouted. Greninja took the Giant Shuriken off its back and jumped into the air, past the two Mega Charizard who just recovered before landing safely on the ground.

"Give it everything we got! Water Shuriken!" Ash called out.

Zygarde's attack struck Greninja's Water Shuriken with incredible force, but the two attacks seemed to cancel out.

 _ **It's...too much!**_

 _ **Nin...ja!**_

 _ **No! We have to get stronger, we have to protect everyone. We cannot and will not lose!**_

As the group looked on, the water shuriken Greninja had grew until it was over three times its normal size.

"Gre...Nin...JA!" The Water Pokemon shouted as the water shuriken shined brighter and brighter.

"Charizard, Flamethower!" Alain shouted as he stood beside Ash.

Alain's Charizard was flying up towards Zygarde again. Now with the legendary Pokemon distracted, Mega Charizard fired a powerful blue flame at Zygarde, striking it on the side. The attack was enough to stop Zygarde from attacking. As the beam dissipated, both Ash and Greninja fell in exhaustion.

"Ash!" Serena cried out as she ran over. Alain caught Ash, before he fell and eased him down to the ground.

"Ash are you alright?!" Serena said as she grabbed her love in her embrace.

"Huh? Yeah. Just a bit tired is all. Help me up would you?" Ash said with a weak laugh. Both Serena and Alain helped Ash up. Ash's Charizard and Pikachu helped pick up Greninja, who was now standing under its own power too.

"Ha...thanks." Ash said as he stood on his feet.

"Ah! Look out!" Clemont called out to them. Alain's Mega Charizard came crashing down next to them. To their relief, Mega Charizard stood up as Alain rushed towards it. As they looked up, they noticed Zygarde taking aim at them once more.

"It's firing a Dragon Pulse again!" Alain exclaimed.

"Charizard, Flamethrower. Greninja use Water Shuriken!" Ash called out. The two Pokemon fired off their attacks, cancelling Zygarde's attack.

"We'll have to work together. Greninja hop on Charizard's back and cover him." Ash said. Greninja and Mega Charizard nodded and the two flew up towards Zygarde, followed by Alain's Mega Charizard.

 _ **Get ready Greninja...**_

"Charizard!" Ash and Alain both shouted. "Flamethrower!"

 _ **Wait until you get close...**_

The two Flamethrowers merged into one flame, roaring towards Zygarde. Another Dragon Pulse stopped the attack from getting to Zygarde. As the two Charizards continued to fly towards Zygarde, Ash and Greninja made their move.

"Alain tell your Charizard to go in with a Dragon Claw!" Ash told Alain. At first Alain didn't know what Ash had planned, but he trusted him.

"Charizard, Dragon Claw!" Alain shouted. As Alain's Charizard flew straight at Zygarde, Ash's Charizard flew underneath.

 _ **Now! Water Shuriken!**_

As Zygarde went to swipe Alain's Charizard with one of its arms, a giant water shuriken slammed into its arm. That was all Alain's Charizard needed as it landed two strikes across Zygarde's chest before retreating out of harms way.

"Now use Steel Wing!" Ash shouted. His Charizard had circled around behind Zygarde while it was distracted and landed a successful hit.

The two Mega Charizards and Greninja faced off against Zygarde in the air. Even with their combined hits, Zygarde didn't look damaged at all. Again it surrounded itself in a green aura.

"Look out!" Ash and Alain cried out, but again Zygarde was too fast and even though both Charizard dodged different ways, Zygarde was able to hit both of them in under a second. Both Mega Charizards fell to the ground in front of their trainers. Greninja was able to jump off Ash's Charizard and land safely, but it was still injured.

Ash's Charizard, being fatigued from the Elite Four challenge already turned back to it's normal form, fainted. Alain's Charizard stood up, but it was took weak to even fly.

"Zygarde's coming back for another attack!" Clemont pointed. Zygarde had raised one of it's arms and fired off a Dragon Pulse at the group, intending to finish off these evil humans protecting Lysandre.

"Greninja!" Ash called out, but the water frog Pokemon already knew what it must do. It stood firmly in front of everyone, looking up at the Dragon Pulse coming towards them.

"Full power, Water Shuriken!" Ash shouted.

Greninja took the Shuriken off it's back and raised it over its head, arm outstretched. The Water shuriken floated above and began to spin. Again the Shuriken grew to three times its normal size, but as the Shuriken began to speed up, it glowed a bright orange. As the Dragon Pulse neared, Ash and Greninja were ready.

"NOW!"

"Gre...nin...JA!"

Greninja threw the Orange Shuriken at the Dragon Pulse. It cut through the Dragon Pulse and slammed into Zygarde, erupting into a huge explosion.

"Greninja did it!" Serena exclaimed.

"That was unbelievable!" Clemont praised. Ash and Greninja looked up, both exhausted but a grim look was on their faces.

 _ **You sense it too?**_

 _ **Ninja...**_

As even Alain seemed to believe that Zygarde was defeated, Ash and Greninja stood there, looking up into the cloud of smoke and dust. Serena rushed over to Ash, intended on giving him a kiss, stopped once she noticed Ash's stern face.

"Ash? What's wrong?" Serena asked.

"It's not over..." Ash said quietly.

Serena gasped and looked up into the cloud as it started to dissipate. A shadow of a figure began to take shape from inside the shrinking cloud. As the group looked on, Zygarde emerged from the cloud. Though Ash and Greninja put all their effort into the attack, all that it left was a small blackened spot on Zygarde's chest.

"What do we do now?" Serena asked, turning towards Ash. She could see the beads of sweat coming from Ash.

"I don't know...Greninja and I are all out of energy." Ash said weakly.

Zygarde looked down at it's chest. The last attack from the Greninja had damaged it, but only slightly. It was enough to enrage it. Zygarde had enough of these evil humans. It concentrated it's power into its chest...

"What's Zygarde doing now?!" Ash said, Serena noticed a tone of fear in his voice.

"We need to run!" Clemont shouted. He looked around the group...

"Where's Bonnie!" He cried out, frantically looking around.

 _ **These humans...I must destroy all of them...CORE ENFORCER!**_

Out of Zygarde's chest, a enormous power began to form. In mere moments, the entire area would be engulfed in green fire.

"Squishy!"

 _ **That...voice...**_

"Squishy, you have to stop this!"

 _ **Why is that voice familiar to me?**_

"Squishy please...you're scaring me...

 _ **It's from the human girl...Bonnie. The one my other half befriended...**_

Zygarde looked down. On the hill overlooking the now destroyed lake stood a lone blonde girl. Tears were in her eyes.

 _ **She's scared...but why...do I care?**_

 _ **Because brother...we are joined.**_

From inside the core of Zygarde, the core known as Squishy had awoken and was now speaking with its counterpart.

 _ **We are joined...so now you have my memories.**_

 _ **Your...memories**_

Squishy showed the other Core, the memories it had with Bonnie and the group. Squishy showed that not all humans were evil. That while there were humans that only wanted to do evil deeds, it was not the nature of humans to be evil. That there was still good in this world, and that alone was worth protecting.

While Squishy was showing the other Core it's memories, Squishy was also experiencing the horrible memories of the other Core while captured by Team Flare.

 _ **The human Lysandre will be brought to justice. You must remember we are the Guardian of Kalos...not its destroyer.**_

From the ground Ash, Serena, and Clemont had rushed up to where Bonnie was. Clemont collapsed and hugged his sister. Ash looked back to where they had been. Alain and Mairin were still keeping a close eye on Lysandre and his executives. Ash's eyes then went back to Zygarde who was just staring down at Bonnie, not moving at all. The energy that had started to form from it's chest had now disappeared.

 _ **Brother...no Pokemon or human should have endured what you did, but let me show you a better and brighter world that I have experienced.**_

 _ **Will you do that?**_

 _ **Yes, but first...let us undo the damage that Team Flare has done.**_

Ash and the group looked on as Zygarde finally moved. It lowered itself down towards the lake. A bright green aura surrounded the legendary Pokemon. As everyone looked on, the storm began to break, and the sun shined through once again. The green aura that had surrounded Zygarde now shot out in all directions. Soon the forest was healed, the ground flourished with green once more, and the lake was refilled with crystal clear water.

With it's work finished, Zygarde then glowed as the Cells dispersed, once again covering the planet until only the two Cores remained. The two Cores flew up towards Ash and the group under the newly healed tree on top of the hill. Bonnie ran towards them.

"Squishy!" She cried as she picked up the red Core. They rest of the group laughed with joy.

"Oh and you must be Squishy's friend?" Bonnie smiled, reaching out her hand for the other Core.

 _ **How can she be like this after what I have done**_

 _ **There are a lot of things we can learn from the humans. In this case, it's their capacity for forgiveness.**_

 _ **Forgiveness...?**_

As the Blue Core accepted Bonnie's offer, Ash and the group noticed a commotion down below. They looked over at where Alain was and saw Diantha along with several Officer Jenny's. As they were about to go, Squishy and the blue Zygarde core jumped out of Bonnie's arms.

"Squishy?" Bonnie said, looking back at the two cores.

 _ **Bonnie...It is time for me to leave**_

"Wha?!" The group all gasped. Tears began to well up in Bonnie's eyes.

"But why...?" Bonnie whimpered, holding back the tears to no avail.

 _ **I am tired and will have to go away for a time.**_

The group stood there in silence. No one able to find the right words to say.

"I..." Bonnie said in between her tears. "I...understand."

 _ **I won't be gone long, and remember...I will always be watching.**_

"Ok..." Bonnie said wiping the tears from her eyes.

 _ **Thank you Bonnie...and you three as well. For everything...**_

Squishy and the other Zygarde core then flew away, disappearing into the distance leaving the four friends with a feeling of sorrow and happiness.

The group headed down, and met with Diantha as four more Officer Jenny's arrived to arrest Lysandre and the rest of Team Flare. As they were leaving, Alain went with them.

"Alain, where you going?" Ash asked. Alain turned around, a stern yet sad look in his eyes.

"I am partially responsible for these events. I'm the reason Lysandre was able to get so close to destroying Kalos." Alain explained. Even with Ash and Mairin's protest, Alain allowed himself to be taken into custody along with Lysandre and the rest of Team Flare.

"But he didn't do anything wrong." Ash said to Diantha as the group made their way back to the Pokemon village.

"We'll see Ash. I'll have a word with Professor Sycamore. Alain was his assistant, maybe he'll have some answers." Diantha said. At the edge of the Pokemon Village, Ash had to say goodbye to Alain as he was taken away along with the remains of Team Flare. Mairin was allowed to accompany the Officer Jenny that had Alain.

The rest of Team Flare had been rounded up with the help from dozens of trainers who stood against them. Now everyone was recovering from the attack. Most headed to the Pokemon Center to tend to their injuries while the rest helped cleaning up the destruction. Among those, were three of the Elite Four members. On the way to the Pokemon Center, the group ran into them.

"Seibold! Drasna and Wikstrom! Where have you been? What happened?" Diantha asked as she ran up to them. Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie followed after her.

"It was Lysandre." Seibold answered.

"He gathered us up so we could fight against Team Flare, but it was all a ruse to lure us into a trap." Wikstrom explained. "Before we knew it, we were attacked with Sleep Powder and when we awoke, we were locked in a room without our Pokemon."

"But then how did you escape?" Ash asked.

"And where's Malva?" Diantha asked as well, but with a serious tone.

"It was Malva that rescued us." Drasna answered, walking forward.

"But it's not that simple." Wikstrom said quickly.

* * *

 _1 hour earlier_

"I didn't want any of this to happen..." Malva said as she returned the Pokemon to her colleagues.

"What do you mean Malva?" Drasna asked.

"There's no time. Go to the Village and protect the people, there's something I must do, but please know...I thought of you all as friends. Goodbye, I doubt we will ever see each other again." Malva said as she ran off.

* * *

"Before Malva joined the Elite Four two years ago, she had worked for Lysandre in the past." Diantha said as Wikstrom finished explaining what had happened.

"So where did she go?" Serena asked. The three of them shook their head.

"We don't know." Siebold answered.

"It's alright." Ash said. "At least everyone is safe and we stopped Team Flare. That's all that matters."

The group nodded. Malva may have been a part of Team Flare, but in the end Malva helped protect the people and went back and saved the Elite Four. For now, their main focus was to tend to the injured and to restore the Pokemon Village back to the way it was. Everything else, could wait.

 _ **Next chapter on Saturday...**_


	36. Chapter 36: Journey's End

**Chapter 36: Journey's End**

It had been two days since Team Flare attacked the Pokemon League. Both trainers and visitors had stayed to help with the restoration of the Pokemon Village. They not only stayed there to help, but to see if the Pokemon League would continue, for there was still one more match to be played...the Champion challenge.

"Ash! Come down here! You've been working for twelve hours straight!" Serena said, looking up at Ash who was helping finishing up a roof of a building. Ash looked down and rubbed the sweat off his forehead.

"Ok, just a minute!" Ash called down.

As Ash placed the last shingle down, he glanced up at the sun which was nearing the horizon.

"Wow...the day sure has gone by fast." Ash said.

Serena watched Ash climb down impatiently. Over the past two days, Ash had been busy helping wherever he could. Serena couldn't hold it against him. The Ash she fell in love with always had a heart for helping others before himself. Even so, she had been busy as well. From helping Nurse Joy at the Pokemon Center, to even performing in the town square to lift everyone's spirits. They both had done their part, now Serena wanted to be little selfish.

"Hey Serena, what's up." Ash said as he reached Serena on the sidewalk.

"Come with me." She simply said as she grabbed Ash's hand.

Serena led Ash back to their hotel room. The repairs to their place had just finished, which Ash was glad. The past two nights had been a bit awkward at first. When Team Flare had abducted Bonnie along with Squishy they had destroyed the back wall, but also Ash's room. When they came back after that long night, exhausted they were left with only three beds. Serena was thinking about having Ash sleep in her bed, but she would never think to ask.

* * *

 _Two days ago..._

 _ **Ash could sleep with me tonight...**_

The thought burned in Serena's mind.

 _ **No, I can't do that. It's way too soon to sleep in the same bed. I mean...I would love to, but if I think it's too fast, then it's too fast for Ash**_

"Hey Ash, where are you going to sleep?" Bonnie asked as the group cleaned up the common room as best they could. Luckily the three other rooms were not affected.

"I guess I could sleep on the couch." Ash said as he dusted off the furniture.

"But what about the hole? It's basically sleeping outside. What if you get cold?" Serena quickly said. She had no idea why she said it. She was both trying to imply she wanted Ash to stay with her, and to not have Ash stay with her.

"Why don't you stay in Serena's room?" Bonnie said.

Everyone stopped what they were doing. A heavy silence fell on the group, not believing what Bonnie had said. Clemont and Serena were both red.

"B-Bonnie?!" Clemont stuttered.

Everyone looked over to Ash, who...not surprisingly, had a blank stare on his face.

"Why would Serena sleep on the couch while I slept in her room?" He asked innocently.

All three, including Pikachu fell down dumbstruck. Ash looked around confused from their reaction.

"Haha no Ash, I mean..." Bonnie started, but she could not finish as Clemont picked her up with his Aipom arm.

"Bonnie!" He cried!

Serena was as red as she could be. She glanced over at Ash just as he glanced at her.

"Oh I get it." Ash said.

"You do?!" Serena squeaked.

"Yeah, I can use my sleeping bag on Serena's floor, It'll be comfortable in my sleeping bag and I can stay warm. Good thinking Bonnie!" Ash said with a smile.

* * *

"Oh wow Serena, this is great!" Ash said as he and Serena entered the room and saw what was inside. The table had been set with all sorts of food and treats. Around the table was Clemont, Bonnie, and Sawyer with smiles and laughter. The furniture was pushed back so all the Pokemon would be able to take part in the festivities.

"I'm glad you like it!" Serena said with a blush, as Ash kissed her on the cheek.

"C'mon Ash, before the food gets cold!" Bonnie said.

The friends and their Pokemon then ate a wholesome meal, each one having a joyous time as if the events that transpired hadn't happened.

"So Sawyer, what do you plan to do after this?" Clemont asked. Ash, Serena, and Bonnie stopped to hear what Sawyer would say. Even Greninja and Sceptile stopped to listen.

"I've learned so much here in Kalos. Most of it from battling and watching you Ash." Sawyer answered. "I want to go back home to Hoenn, but not yet. I'm going to Sinnoh next and try my luck there."

"It'll be great Sawyer!" Serena said.

"I have no doubt you'll do amazing in Sinnoh." Clemont responded.

Sawyer looked over to Ash. Even without saying anything, they both knew what the other was thinking.

"Then I'll come back and challenge you to another battle Ash." Sawyer said with a grin. Ash responded with his own smile.

"Of course, My Pokemon and I will be ready." Ash said.

After their meal was done, it was already nightfall and the curfew was almost upon them. Even with Team Flare defeated, it was likely that remnants of the defeated group could retaliate. Sawyer and his Pokemon said their goodbyes as he went to his own hotel.

Everyone, even some the Pokemon helped clean up. After it was all done, it was time for bed. Ash looked into his newly renovated room. It was just like before with a new bed and everything. Serena came up behind Ash. He turned around to see her with his sleeping bag.

"I guess you won't need this anymore." Serena said as she handed his sleeping bag over. Ash accepted it with a smile, but at the last second he noticed a slight sadness in her eyes.

"What's wrong Serena?" He asked, taking a step closer to her.

"Huh? Oh nothing..." She said as she erased the sadness from her face.

As Ash stood in front of her, he caught the scent of her hair. The faint strawberry smell that he loved. Without thinking he gave Serena a kiss, which she happily returned.

"Serena..." Ash said softly. Serena knew that Ash could see through her this way. Any time she was sad, he would always be able to tell. It was the only part of Ash that wasn't dense.

"It's just...I liked it when you were in my room. Near me..." She said quietly. She had found a certain peace hearing his soft breathing at the foot of her bed the past two nights as he slept on the floor.

This broke through Ash's denseness as he started to blush.

"I...I liked it too." Ash said.

Serena's heart raced and she did the only thing she wanted to do at that moment. She went in for another kiss which Ash returned.

 _ **That was all I wanted to hear**_

Just as quickly as they had embraced, Serena reluctantly separated from Ash and walked to her door, leaving Ash at his own doorway. She stopped at her door and turned around. The glow from her cheeks and eyes told Ash that she was no longer sad.

"Goodnight Ash!"

"Goodnight Serena."

* * *

The next day, the Village all gathered in the central courtyard where a makeshift stage had been placed. This was where Serena had performed a couple of times. Now the stage was surrounded by thousands of people. The courtyard was barely large enough to fit everyone. On the stage was Diantha and the other three Elite Four members. Joining them was none other than the President of the Pokemon League, Mr. Goodshow.

"I would first like to thank each and every one of you with your help these past three days. Whether battling against Team Flare to protect the innocent, or rebuilding from that day, I would like to send my gratitude to you all." Diantha said, addressing the crowd.

"Now as you all know, before Team Flare had attacked, we still had one more match left." She continued. The crowd erupted in applause. This was what they were all waiting on. Mr. Goodshow stepped forward, in which Diantha gave him the microphone to speak.

"Now, according to the Kalos League rules when it comes to the Elite Four challenge and the Champions match, the challenger is not allowed to heal their Pokemon at the Pokemon Center. They are only allowed to use potions and berries. This system is in place so that there is no doubt in who is the stronger, and more bonded trainer, and who deserves the right to the title of Kalos Champion." Mr. Goodshow explained.

"However, due to the interruption of Team Flare, there has been some...complications with that process. During the attack, the legendary Pokemon Zygarde was angered and Ash led the charge in the defense against Zygarde. In the process several of his Pokemon were exhausted to the point of fainting before Zygarde was calmed down." Mr. Goodshow continued.

"With all that has happened, I have talked with Diantha over the past couple of days and we came to a decision on what to do next..." He said, trailing off as if to keep the crowd in suspense. "We have both decided that the Pokemon League continue and to have the Champions match."

The crowd cheered. They would be treated to another amazing match that would surely be the best one out of them all.

"However it would be impossible to have Ash's Pokemon go back to the way they were before the attack. So as President of the Pokemon League, and with Diantha's approval, I have allowed Ash's Pokemon to be healed. The Champions match will be a full 6 on 6 match between fully rested and healthy pokemon and trainers tomorrow at noon." Goodshow said. The crowd continued to cheer and the celebration continued for hours.

* * *

Away from the courtyard and the celebration, at the Pokemon Center was Ash and the rest of the group. Just an hour before the event started, he was contacted by Diantha to meet him at the Pokemon Center. There they met her and Mr. Goodshow where they explained what would happen. As they waited for Ash's Pokemon to recover fully, they watched the speech on the television.

"Wow, everyone is so happy to see you battle tomorrow Ash." Bonnie commented.

"It's not often you get to see a Champions match, in any region." Clemont said.

With everyone at the courtyard, the group had the main lobby of the Pokemon Center to themselves where they enjoyed a quiet meal together. As Ash ate, sitting next to Serena, he thought to himself of all that had transpired on his way to this moment. He was just one day away from his chance of achieving his dream. And though there were a couple of bumps and detours, he had pushed through them. He looked around to Serena, Clemont and Bonnie. They had all helped each other through their own troubles and goals.

Bonnie had learned so much on the journey and when it would be her time to be a trainer, Ash and Clemont knew she would do great things.

Clemont himself and grown a lot on the journey as well. Meeting Ash had renewed his passion for inventing. Though most...if not all of his inventions ended up exploding in some way or another, it was Ash that had taught him to continue on and to always push himself to be better. Besides, most of his inventions actually worked before their untimely demise.

And for Serena...this journey had changed her life in so many ways. For her, it must have been fate that led her to Ash. Seeing him on the television in Luminose, she went on her journey to find him. Her infatuation slowly yet surely turned into so much more as Ash supported her on her decision to become a performer against her mother's wishes and even through all her Performances.

And then the unthinkable happened. The moment when she had thought Ash had rejected her, back in Victory Road. When the world around them was on the verge of ending, Ash had kissed her. She had confessed her feelings and Ash had kissed her. Ever since that moment, Serena had this joy and jubilation that burned inside her. Though they had just been through two life and death situations within a week, Serena felt like she couldn't be happier.

And now, they were at the end of Ash's journey. Ash knew that he could not have gone this far without his friends. They played a part into pushing Ash to his limit. Sawyer...Alain...Clemont, and even Bonnie. But most of all, in a way Ash didn't think possible, Serena had helped him out the most.

"Ash?"

"Huh, what?" Ash said as he snapped out of his thoughts.

"Your Pokemon are ready." Serena said, pointing behind him towards Nurse Joy.

"Your Pokemon are all healed and rested Ash. Good luck tomorrow." Nurse Joy said, handing Ash five pokeballs as Pikachu jumped onto Ash's shoulder.

"Hey buddy. All better?" Ash said, scratching Pikachu's ear.

"Chaaaaaa!"

Ash turned around. Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie stood before him. All three of them with fire in their eyes, ready to root him on in the Champions match. Ash clenched his fist out in front of him.

"Right, we'll do this together...all of us."

* * *

 _The next day..._

The sun was high and there was no cloud to dampen the mood of the Pokemon Village. People from all around had come as well. The Team Flare attack had made world news, and with the world watching, Mr. Goodshow had announced that the Champion's Match would still happen. Hundreds more had come and even some that were surprising. Lance, the Dragon Master had arrived the previous day. Steven, the Hoenn Champion arrived early in the morning before most people were even awake, but word spread quickly that he would be in attendance for today's match.

Ash, Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, were waiting in the trainer's lounge for the match that would start in a couple of hours. The door knocked, and a staff member entered.

"Mr. Ketchum, you have two people who are requesting to see you. They claim to know you." He said.

"Did you get their names?" Ash asked, wondering who it could be.

"A Mr. Sawyer and a Mr. Duran" The man responded.

"Yeah, you can bring them in. They're friends." Ash answered.

The man stepped outside and a moment later, Sawyer and Duran walked inside.

"Ash! I've been looking all over for you." Sawyer said as he came inside.

"Yeah, sorry about that. Diantha wanted us to stay the night here. Apparently there's a lot of people swarming our hotel waiting for me to come out." Ash said awkwardly. He wasn't used to this kind of fame.

"Hmm...You ready for today's match." Duran asked. The man was stern as always, but from their interactions, Ash knew he had a soft spot for Pokemon and a kind heart. Ash didn't answer right away, he knew that this match would be different from all the rest he ever had. Even the match against Drake of the Orange Islands several years ago wouldn't match up to this.

"Good answer." Duran said before Ash could answer.

"Huh?" Ash asked.

"I can see your hesitation to answer isn't from weakness or being unsure of yourself. You know the gravity of this match. This is perhaps a once in a lifetime opportunity for you and your Pokemon. This is your chance at history." Duran explained.

"Uh...wow. When you say it that way, you're making me even more nervous, ha." Ash said with a anxious smile.

"Don't worry Ash, you're going to do great!" Serena said.

"Haha, of that I have no doubt." Duran laughed. The group laughed together, but then was interrupted by another knock on the door.

"I'm so sorry for the interruption Mr. Ketchum." The staff person said as they came inside again.

"It's fine, there's no need to apologize. I'm guessing there's someone to see me?" Ash said.

"Uh...yes...well...it's..." The man said stuttering. "It's Professor Sycamore and...Cynthia...the Sinnoh Champion to see you." He finally got out.

"Cynthia!" The group all exclaimed.

* * *

"You know...I'm not surprised you would make it this far." Cynthia said as she came inside the room.

"Cynthia! It's so good to see you. Hey Professor Sycamore!" Ash said as he stood up from his seat.

"Hello Ash! Oh my, you have all of your friends with you." Sycamore said. Ash was about to welcome Sycamore when a thought crept into his mind.

"Not all of them..." Ash said with a sad tone.

"Yes...well you shouldn't worry about Alain. I gave Officer Jenny my statement, and with your statement on how Alain helped save the Kalos region from Zygarde and Lysandre should clear his name. Not only that, but Diantha was able to pull some strings for me, and he'll be able to watch the match in person." Sycamore said with a smile.

"What?! No way! That's great!" Ash exclaimed.

"That's right. I have accepted responsibility for Alain for the time being." Sycamore explained.

"Thank you Professor!" Serena said cheerfully.

"That's amazing." Clemont said. The spirits of everyone was lifted as their friend would not be left behind.

"So Cynthia, what brings you here? Isn't the Sinnoh League coming up soon?" Serena asked.

"In about two weeks, but I can spare a day or two to watch this. Besides, I was just about to head over here when I heard of the Team Flare attack and the appearance of Zygarde. But when I was just about to leave, I got word that everything was under control." Cynthia explained.

The group spent the next ten minutes going over their stories of that night to Cynthia. She was particularly interested in Zygarde. As Ash was explaining the climax of the battle against Zygarde, Serena unknowningly grabbed Ash's hand and he accepted it without a thought.

"Oh?" Cynthia said, a smile appeared on her face.

"What?" Ash and Serena both asked.

"Huh? Oh, nothing nothing...just, I guess Aria was right." Cynthia said, winking over at Serena.

"Oh!" Serena said as she realized Cynthia had noticed her and Ash holding hands.

"It's fine. It's great. You two are perfect for each other." Cynthia said smiling. This made Ash and Serena blush.

The group enjoyed each other's company for the next hour until the staff member entered once more.

"I'm sorry everyone. But since there is just an hour left until the match starts, I will have to ask you all to leave." He said timidly.

"Yes, Ash will have to focus on his match." Duran stated, getting up.

"Where will you sit Cynthia." Serena asked Cynthia as they all got ready to leave.

"In the VIP section...hopefully next to Steven." She said. Serena wondered why that was, but the look Cynthia gave her told her everything.

Ash walked everyone to the exit until only Serena remained. She turned back and they held each other's hands. They stood there for awhile, looking into each others eyes.

"You're going to do great." Serena said before kissing Ash.

With one more smile, she left Ash alone in the room. Ash stood there for a minute, until he went back to his seat. He sat down and put all his pokeballs down on the table in front of him. Pikachu jumped up on the table next to them. He called them all out of their pokeballs.

"Well everyone...This is it."

 _ **Next Chapter in one week...**_


End file.
